Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal’s remarks on India’s gig economy have stirred a heated debate on social media after he claimed that delivery services were largely unaffected by calls for a nationwide strike by gig workers on December 31.
In a series of posts on X, Goyal said Zomato and Blinkit together completed over 75 lakh deliveries on New Year’s Eve, calling it the highest-ever single-day delivery count for the company.
“One of India’s Largest Job Creation Engines”
Defending the platform-based work model, Goyal described the gig economy as one of the country’s most significant employment generators.
“If a system were fundamentally unfair, it would not consistently attract and retain so many people who choose to work within it, ”he wrote, urging users not to get “swept up by narratives” being pushed by “vested interests” against quick commerce platforms.
Explaining the 10-minute delivery promise
Addressing criticism around Blinkit’s 10-minute delivery model, Goyal said the speed of deliveries does not come at the cost of rider safety.
“Delivery partners don’t even have a timer on their app to indicate what was the original time promised to the customer, "he explained.
According to Goyal, the system works due to the dense network of nearby stores. “Orders are picked and packed within about 2.5 minutes. Riders travel under 2 km and take around 8 minutes, which is an average speed of 15 kmph,” he added, dismissing claims that workers are forced to rush.
Wages, market forces, and a controversial take
Goyal acknowledged imperfections in the system, stating that “no system is perfect” and promising continuous improvement. However, his comments on wages sparked further criticism.
Responding to a user’s remark suggesting gig workers’ “real minimum wage is Rs 0,” Goyal said dissatisfaction with pay is universal.
“Literally everyone who has a job wants to get paid more. Everyone thinks they deserve better,” he wrote.
He added that earnings in the gig economy are governed by competition and demand.
“Market forces decide how much someone gets paid. Demand is more than supply, which results in gig incomes being higher than many entry-level formal jobs in India,” Goyal claimed.
Kunal Kamra and others remain unconvinced
Despite the detailed defence, several users remained sceptical. Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra publicly challenged the Zomato CEO, questioning the lack of transparent wage data.
Kamra said he would “never tweet about gig workers again” if Goyal could reveal how much hourly pay gig workers actually earned on average over the past year.
