Quick commerce firms roll out festive incentives for delivery partners

Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart plan higher payouts and bonuses during Navratri to retain riders and expand fleets amid peak festive demand

India’s top quick-commerce platforms, Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart, are preparing to roll out festive benefits for their delivery partners. The benefits, which include higher payouts and special incentives, are designed to ramp up fleet capacity and meet the spike in demand during the festive season.

 

A report by The Economic Times mentioned that several gig workers, shopkeepers, and analysts confirmed that these companies are offering additional incentives to retain delivery partners, as demand is expected to peak during the season. 

 

During the Navratri weeks, which began on September 22, Eternal-owned Blinkit introduced at least a 20 per cent incentive on a delivery partner’s daily earnings. The exact payout varies for each rider, depending on their individual daily income.

 

Meanwhile, Zepto and Instamart are also in discussions to roll out further benefits for their delivery partners. A Zepto fleet manager told The Economic Times that deliberations on Navratri season incentives are currently underway and benefits will soon be shared with workers.

How much do delivery partners earn?

The earnings of delivery partners vary depending on the platform. According to the report, their average monthly earnings rose to nearly ₹28,000 in mid-2025, up from ₹21,000 in 2021. During the festive season, these earnings can rise to as much as ₹50,000, reflecting a 10–15 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase. 

 

For example, Zepto offers a daily incentive scheme where a delivery partner can earn nearly ₹134 extra by completing around 15 special orders in a day, and up to ₹282 for delivering close to 30 orders.

 

Platforms frequently introduce and withdraw such incentive schemes in response to customer demand. Typically, delivery partners are incentivised to remain online during peak demand hours such as 7–11 am and 5–8 pm, especially in the quick commerce segment.

Festivals mean more work, less pay

However, staffing and hiring platform TeamLease points out that the festive season brings an increase in orders but often shrinking earnings for gig workers. Delivery partners in cities like Bengaluru experience 12–15 hour shifts, rising order volumes, and falling per-order payouts. While platforms expand hiring during these periods, workers often face fatigue, low pay, and unstable income.

 

Compared to regular shifts of 8–10 hours, festive season shifts stretch to 12–14 hours. The longer working hours are crucial to unlock surge bonuses and to meet higher delivery targets.

Festive season to add 216,000 jobs

TeamLease also noted that festive hiring in 2025 is expected to ease. India’s festive hiring, which had touched a 45 per cent Y-o-Y increase in 2021, has steadily moderated over the past five years. In 2025, festive hiring is projected to rise by only 15–20 per cent Y-o-Y, generating over 216,000 temporary roles across sectors.