Zomato Fires 5,000 Gig Workers Monthly for Fraud, CEO Goyal Reveals

Zomato's CEO Deepinder Goyal revealed the platform terminates about 5,000 gig workers each month due to fraud, with a vastly larger number choosing to leave on their own. This comes after gig workers staged a flash strike on New Year's Eve demanding higher wages and improved working conditions. Concurrently, the government has published draft labour codes aiming to extend benefits like minimum wage and social security to gig workers. The proposed rules set a minimum engagement period of 90 days with a single aggregator to qualify for these new protections.

Key Points: Zomato CEO on Gig Worker Turnover, Strikes & New Labour Rules

  • 5,000 workers sacked monthly for fraud
  • 150k-200k workers leave voluntarily
  • New Year's Eve strike for better pay & conditions
  • Draft labour codes promise gig worker benefits
  • Eligibility requires 90-120 days of platform engagement
2 min read

Why Zomato sacks close to 5,000 gig workers a month? CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal says 5,000 gig workers are sacked monthly for fraud, while up to 200,000 leave voluntarily, amid new govt labour rules.

Why Zomato sacks close to 5,000 gig workers a month? CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals
"Those who choose to leave the platform consider gig work as a temporary job. - Deepinder Goyal"

New Delhi, Jan 4

Zomato sacks close to 5,000 gig workers a month due to cases involving fraud, while another 150,000 to 200,000 workers leave the fast food delivery platform on their own, its parent firm Eternal's founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal said.

In a video podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani, Goyal said that those who choose to leave the platform consider gig work as a temporary job.

Several gig workers operating on quick commerce and food delivery platforms, including Zomato, had gone on a flash strike during New Year's Eve, in support of their demand for high wages, better working conditions and security coverage.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour and Employment has published the draft rules for the four labour codes, which also bring gig workers on board for various benefits such as minimum wage, health, occupational safety and social security coverage.

The government has invited feedback from stakeholders on these draft rules and aims to finally roll out the entire package of four labour codes across the country from April 1.

Under the draft rules, in order to be eligible for the benefits, a gig or platform worker must be associated with an aggregator for at least 90 days in a financial year to qualify for social security benefits created by the Centre. If a worker is engaged with more than one aggregator, the minimum requirement is fixed at 120 days.

The notification is dated December 30, 2025, and was issued a day before the gig and platform workers went on a flash strike for higher wages and better working conditions.

The rules clarify that a worker is considered "engaged" on any calendar day if they earn income for work done for an aggregator, regardless of how much they earn.

If a worker is associated with multiple aggregators, the number of engagement days will be added together across all aggregators. The draft also states that if a worker is engaged with three aggregators on the same calendar day, it will be counted as three separate days of engagement.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Rohit P
As a regular Zomato user, this makes me think. We want cheap, fast delivery, but at what cost? If the gig economy is to be sustainable, these workers need stability and respect. The 90/120-day rule for benefits seems reasonable, but will aggregators try to circumvent it by keeping engagement periods shorter? Need strong oversight.
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Aman W
Frankly, calling it a "temporary job" is a bit of a cop-out from the CEO. For many young people in smaller cities, this is the only job available. The high attrition rate of 150k-200k speaks volumes about working conditions, not just worker preference. Hope the new codes bring some much-needed dignity to this work.
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Sarah B
The detail about counting engagement across multiple apps on the same day as separate days is clever policy design. It acknowledges the reality that many workers juggle Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit etc. to make ends meet. This could actually incentivize platforms to treat their workers better to retain them. A step in the right direction.
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Karthik V
Respectfully, while the fraud angle is highlighted, the core issue is economic. With rising fuel costs and static delivery charges, the take-home pay is shrinking. No wonder they strike. The government's move is good, but April 1 rollout seems ambitious. These rules need to be watertight before launch.
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Nisha Z
My cousin does this work in Pune. He says the pressure is immense - ratings, time targets, traffic risks, and no sick leave. He's one of those planning to "leave on his own" soon.

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