Zomato CEO Unveils Delivery Partner Pay Data Amid Gig Strike Fury

Zomato CEO Unveils Delivery Partner Pay Data Amid Gig Strike Fury

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal recently released detailed earnings data for delivery partners amid intense public scrutiny over India's gig economy. The disclosure revealed that partners earned an average of ₹102 per hour in 2025, marking a 10.9% increase from ₹92 the previous year. This move came after pressure from YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and widespread protests by over 200,000 app-based delivery workers who struck nationwide on New Year's Eve—following a Christmas Day action—demanding better pay, an end to grueling 10-minute delivery mandates, and social security benefits.

Goyal shared the figures via a series of posts on X, breaking down how a typical partner working 10 hours a day for 26 days a month could gross ₹26,500, netting around ₹21,000 after fuel and maintenance deductions. He emphasized the flexibility of gig work, noting that most partners log in intermittently—averaging just 38 days a year with seven hours per shift—and only 2.3% exceed 250 days annually. Partners keep 100% of tips, averaging ₹2.6 per hour (up from ₹2.4), with Zomato covering payment gateway fees, countering claims that gig jobs underpay compared to formal entry-level roles.

The data drop followed a heated exchange with Rathee, who urged Goyal to let the public judge if earnings beat traditional jobs, prompting the CEO's commitment to transparency. Despite the strike call from unions like the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union and Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers—which included demands for no arbitrary ID blocks, safety gear, rest breaks, consistent allocations, and government regulation—Zomato and Blinkit shattered records on December 31, handling 7.5 million orders via 450,000 partners serving 6.3 million customers, without extra incentives.

Goyal credited police for curbing "miscreants" allegedly backed by political agents, a claim unions dismissed as dishonest tactics to undermine genuine worker voices. Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha joined striking workers that night, slamming the model as treating riders like "disposable data points." On benefits, Zomato spent over ₹100 crore in 2025 on fully funded insurance (up to ₹10 lakh accident cover, ₹1 lakh medical, maternity up to ₹40,000), plus tax support, NPS access, women's rest days, and SOS crash detection.

This clash highlights deeper gig economy tensions, balancing company growth against fair labor in India's booming food delivery sector, with prior strikes on Christmas underscoring ongoing fights for dignity and stability.