Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal on Thursday responded to reports around a proposed delivery partners’ strike, saying operations across Zomato and Blinkit continued largely unaffected and that most delivery partners did not support the disruption.
According to Goyal, only a very small group attempted to create unrest on the ground, prompting intervention by local authorities. He said the majority of delivery partners wanted to continue working but were prevented from doing so through intimidation.
“Most of our delivery partners did not want to go on a strike yesterday. The 0.1% miscreants I mentioned in the tweet below were illegally snatching parcels from those who wanted to work, beating them up, and threatening to damage their bikes. Which is why local law authorities had to intervene on their own.”
Goyal alleges intimidation by terminated riders
Goyal claimed that those allegedly creating trouble were not active delivery partners but individuals who had previously been removed from the platform for violations. He accused them of attempting to force their way back into the system.
“So who were these riders who were creating this trouble? Largely the ones who were terminated by the system for repeated abuse and fraud on the platform. They impersonate, steal food, and also abscond with the cash they collect from the customers, amongst other things.”
He also suggested external influence behind the disruption.
“These individuals want to arm twist us to let them back on to the platforms, and exploit the system for their own sake. And are perhaps being supported and instigated by politically motivated individuals who just want to stir up chaos for media mileage.”
Record deliveries despite strike calls
Providing background, Goyal said Zomato and Blinkit continued operations at scale despite strike calls circulating in the days leading up to New Year’s Eve.
“Zomato and Blinkit delivered at a record pace yesterday, unaffected by calls for strikes that many of us heard over the past few days.”
He said coordination with local authorities helped ensure smooth functioning.
“Support from local law enforcement helped keep the small number of miscreants in check, enabling 4.5 lakh+ delivery partners across both platforms to deliver more than 75 lakh orders (all-time high) to over 63 lakh customers during the day.”
Goyal concluded by defending the gig economy model and cautioning against narratives driven by vested interests.
“One thought for everyone: if a system were fundamentally unfair, it would not consistently attract and retain so many people who choose to work within it.”