10-minute deliveries in 45-degree heat: India's gig workers hit a heatwave

With temperatures crossing 45°C in several cities, India's fast-delivery economy is facing growing questions over worker safety, platform accountability and consumer expectations

Rising heatwaves in north India are testing the sustainability of instant delivery models of the quick-commerce industry that depend on workers staying on the road through extreme weather.

 

At 2 pm, when roads begin to empty in the summer heat, delivery riders continue carrying groceries, medicines, and meals that customers expect within 10 to 30 minutes. With temperatures crossing 45 degrees Celsius in many cities this year, every extra minute outdoors increases exhaustion and dehydration. Yet slowing down can also mean lower earnings, missed incentives, and fewer orders.

 

As India’s cities get hotter, a larger question is emerging for the qcommerce industry: when heat slows delivery, who absorbs the cost?  India experiences multiple heatwave spells every year, with the India Meteorological Department recording hundreds of heatwave days across regions. At the same time, India’s gig economy is expanding rapidly. The Ministry of Finance estimates India had 12 million gig and platform workers in FY25, while NITI Aayog projects that number could rise to 23.5 million by 2029-30.  Rising temperatures and growing dependence on app-based delivery are beginning to test the economics of instant delivery itself.

 

Heatwaves versus instant delivery promises 

Qcommerce platforms have long adapted delivery operations during heavy rain and flooding. Customers are often warned about delays during monsoon conditions and, in some cases, companies introduce rain surcharges or incentives for workers operating in difficult weather.

 

Heatwaves, however, remain less visible within the delivery interface as most platforms do not prominently display “heat delay” warnings or formally extend delivery windows during high-temperature alerts. The pressure to maintain delivery speed continues because fast fulfilment is central to the competitive positioning of quick-commerce firms.

 

That creates a difficult trade-off for workers. Unlike rain, companies treat extreme heat as an invisible operational condition rather than a disruption event.

 

The National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA's) July 2025 advisory specifically acknowledged the vulnerability of gig and platform workers during heatwaves. The advisory said India’s platform workforce is heavily concentrated in sectors such as transportation, food delivery, and logistics, where workers face prolonged outdoor exposure during peak heat hours.

 

The advisory recommended suspending outdoor work between 11 am and 4 pm during IMD-declared orange and red alerts and allowing workers to opt out without penalties.

 

Amrita Tonk, partner at CMS INDUSLAW, told Business Standard that while the advisory recognises heat risks for gig workers, India’s legal framework still leaves major gaps around occupational safety protections.

 

“The Code on Social Security, 2020, officially recognises gig workers as people earning outside traditional jobs, and platform workers as those doing tasks through online platforms. This recognition is important, but it only focuses on social security, not workplace and occupational safety, and that gap is exactly where issues like heatwave exposure fall,” she said.

 

Tonk noted that while the NDMA advisory directs platforms to restructure shifts and allow workers to opt out during severe heat alerts, the absence of compensation protection could shift the financial burden back onto workers.

 

She added that the advisory currently remains recommendatory and not legally enforceable.

 

Tarun Joshi, founder and CEO of gifting platform IGP, told Business Standard that severe heatwave conditions and IMD alerts can significantly affect rider mobility and increase risks such as dehydration, fatigue, and heat-related illness.

 

“At IGP, we believe operational efficiency and responsible delivery practices must go hand in hand, especially during extreme weather conditions,” Joshi said.

 

He added that the company increasingly views heatwaves similarly to flooding or heavy rainfall and recalibrates delivery timelines during severe weather to ensure smoother operations and better protection for delivery workers.

 

Unlike ultra-fast delivery models, IGP currently operates on 60–90 minute express delivery windows along with same-day and midnight fulfilment models, which he said provide greater operational flexibility during extreme weather. 

The hidden penalties of slowing down 

Riders may complete fewer orders because they stop more frequently for water or rest. Slower movement through high temperatures can reduce hourly earnings in systems where incentives depend on delivery volumes and completion speed. Workers may also avoid afternoon slots, which are often high-demand periods. 

Mohammed Sadaf, a 34-year-old food delivery rider in Delhi, said the toughest hours are usually between noon and 4 pm, when roads feel almost empty.

 

“Sometimes the phone keeps buzzing with orders, but after being outside for hours in this heat, your body starts giving up. But we are allowed to cancel only one order in a day without being penalised. I deliver almost 30-35 orders in a day which means I work for 14-15 hours. Out of this, we are allowed to take only 30 minutes of break,” he said.

 

“If we stop for water or rest, deliveries get delayed and earnings drop,” he added.

 

Researchers say algorithmic systems can intensify this pressure through incentives, ratings, and order allocation. 

Rajesh Sharma, who delivers groceries for a quick-commerce platform in Delhi, said workers often feel caught between protecting their health and meeting delivery targets.

 

“Customers only see the delivery timer on the app. They don’t see what it is like riding in 45-degree heat wearing a helmet and carrying heavy bags. We sweat a lot in our helmets,” he said.

 

“The deliveries also get delayed because in many societies, we are not allowed to take our motorbikes inside the main gate and so we are forced to carry everything on foot to different towers.”

 

Sharma said riders increasingly rely on water breaks and shaded areas during the afternoon, but slowing down directly affects the number of deliveries they can complete in a day.

 

IGP's Joshi said extreme heat can reduce productivity and working hours in incentive-linked systems. “Heat stress is becoming a major safety concern for everyone, especially for workers who spend long hours outdoors,” he said.

 

Delhi’s 2025 Heat Action Plan warned that extreme heat threatens the livelihoods of millions of outdoor workers. World Bank has warned that heatwave could reduce India’s GDP by up to 4.5 per cent by the end of the decade.  

What companies are doing 

Platforms and logistics firms say they have begun introducing heat-mitigation measures as temperatures rise.

 

An Amazon spokesperson told Business Standard that the company has expanded worker-safety measures, including hydration support, structured breaks, heat monitoring systems, workflow adjustments, and medical camps. The company said it is also expanding its “Project Ashray” network of rest centres and has introduced air-conditioned mobile rest vans and expanded insurance coverage for delivery associates.

 

Amazon added it has expanded health and insurance benefits for nearly 90,000 delivery associates across its India operations network.

 

Eternal Group, which operates Zomato and Blinkit, said delivery workers are covered under insurance programmes and SOS emergency support systems. The company said Blinkit dark stores are being equipped with cooling infrastructure and hydration support, while Zomato delivery workers have access to more than 5,000 rest points across India.

 

Swiggy said it is providing glucose-fortified water, cooling vests, and upgraded rest areas at Instamart locations while relaxing login-hour requirements during peak afternoon heat so workers do not lose incentive eligibility.

 

Zepto's Chief Operating Officer Vikas Sharma said the company is providing indoor rest areas, hydration support, shaded waiting zones, and insurance coverage for heat-related illnesses across dark stores.

 

Flipkart said it has implemented summer mitigation measures focused on hydration, rest-area cooling, and medical access for frontline employees and delivery workers. A company spokesperson said workers also have access to “Doctor on Call” services and heat-safety training programmes.  IGP said it recalibrates delivery timelines during severe heatwave conditions and supports delivery workers through cooling stations at dark stores, hydration facilities, energy drinks, air-conditioned waiting zones and rest breaks where operationally feasible, while focusing on long-term worker safety and operational wellbeing.

 

The NDMA advisory itself emphasised that platforms should integrate heat-specific protections into operational systems rather than treat them as optional welfare interventions.

 

But the regulatory framework around heat safety for gig workers remains fragmented because most app-based workers operate outside traditional employer-employee structures. While the NDMA advisory attempts to address this gap, it remains non-binding. 

Will consumers accept slower delivery? 

The next challenge may not only involve companies and workers, but also consumers.

 

India’s qcommerce sector has conditioned urban users to expect groceries and meals almost instantly. But climate-linked disruptions could eventually force behavioural adjustments.

 

The question is whether customers are willing to tolerate slower deliveries during severe heat conditions or pay slightly more to support safer working conditions for delivery workers.

 

Sahil Madan, co-founder and chief business officer at Handpickd, told Business Standard that the company’s demand-led fulfilment model reduces worker exposure to peak daytime heat because deliveries are completed during planned morning windows. According to him, customers are increasingly prioritising “quality, freshness and reliability over sheer speed”, particularly in categories such as fresh produce.

 

“With heatwaves becoming an increasingly important operational consideration, the industry will need to build commerce systems that balance customer convenience with operational resilience, supply-chain efficiency, and delivery partner wellbeing,” he said.

 

“Most customers are understanding of slight delivery delays if the communication is transparent and proactive,” he said.

 

Industry executives and analysts say that as heatwaves intensify, platforms may need to rethink delivery windows, staffing and incentive structures as ultra-fast delivery becomes harder to sustain in extreme heat.