Zomato CEO defends gig model, highlights 10.9% pay raise, job flexibility

Goyal explained that Zomato gig workers earn a steady income, get welfare support, have flexible schedules, and are not pressured by 10-minute delivery promises, countering claims of exploitation

Zomato Founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal took to X to defend the company’s gig work model, sharing a detailed five-point statement. He explained how delivery partners earn, why the 10-minute delivery promise does not pressure riders, and how flexible schedules and welfare benefits make gig work a reliable source of income.

 

In 2025, delivery partners earned an average of ₹102 per hour (excluding tips), up from ₹92 in 2024, a 10.9 per cent increase. For those working longer hours like 10 hours a day, 26 days a month, gross earnings could reach around ₹26,500, or ₹21,000 after fuel and maintenance costs. Partners also keep 100 per cent of customer tips, averaging ₹2.6 per hour in 2025.

 

 

Goyal noted that these figures included all logged-in time, including waiting periods, providing a realistic view of overall earnings rather than just “busy hours.”

 

Gig work built for flexibility, not overwork

 

In his post, Goyal went on to explain that most delivery partners log in for just a few hours on select days. In 2025, the average partner worked 38 days a year for 7 hours per day, with only a tiny fraction exceeding 250 days.

 

Partners choose their working areas and hours, logging in and out freely. This flexibility makes gig work a reliable side income, not a rigid, full-time job, allowing workers to earn while balancing other responsibilities.

 

No countdown pressure: safety first

 

Goyal addressed concerns about 10-minute delivery promises leading to unsafe driving. He clarified that partners never see a timer or countdown in the app.

 

Quick deliveries happen because stores are close to customers, not because riders are forced to speed. Blinkit orders averaged 2 km per delivery, taking 8 minutes at 16 kmph, while Zomato deliveries were slightly faster at 21 kmph. Road safety, he noted, remains a shared responsibility among platforms, riders, customers, and authorities.

 

Welfare and long-term support

 

Zomato has extended welfare and long-term support to its delivery partners through comprehensive insurance coverage. In 2025, Zomato and Blinkit together spent over ₹100 crore on insurance premiums, fully borne by the company, with claims processed quickly and without hassle. The coverage includes accident insurance of up to ₹10 lakh, medical insurance of ₹1 lakh along with ₹5,000 for OPD expenses, loss-of-pay insurance of up to ₹50,000, and maternity insurance providing coverage of up to ₹40,000.

 

Other initiatives include:

• 2 rest days per month for women partners
• Income tax filing support for 95,000 workers
• Gig-adapted National Pension Scheme access for 54,000 partners
• SOS emergency service for accidents, vehicle breakdowns, and theft

Response to political claims

  Goyal reshared Amitabh Kant’s post highlighting India’s gig economy growth from 7.7 million jobs today to 23.5 million by 2030. Kant’s comments respond to criticism from Raghav Chadha and AAP, who have called gig work exploitative. 

  Goyal warned that politicising the sector could destroy jobs, slow quick commerce, and push workers into unsafe informal work, stressing that India’s gig and quick-commerce platforms are among the country’s largest engines of job creation.