Food delivery platform Zomato and its quick-commerce arm Blinkit saw their highest ever single-day order numbers on New Year’s Eve as thousands of gig workers joined protests against exploitative work practices. Founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal said the two delivery platforms had completed a cumulative 138 lakh orders during the final day of 2025. The update, however, triggered strong backlash on social media, with many users accusing him of being insensitive towards protesting gig workers.

Sharing the New Year’s Eve figures on X, Goyal said both Zomato and Blinkit “delivered at a record pace” on December 31 and claimed that operations were not disrupted despite calls for a nationwide strike by delivery partners demanding better pay and better working conditions. He added that support from local police had “helped keep the small number of miscreants in check” — a remark that angered several users online.

“This happened without any additional incentives for delivery partners – NYE does see higher incentives than usual days and yesterday was no different than the past NYE days,” Goyal wrote.

ALSO READ

Netizens slam Goyal for celebrating growth amid unrest

As criticism against Deepinder Goyal’s remarks gathered pace on X, Pramesh CS, Director of TataMemorial, questioned the ethics of ultra-fast delivery models, saying desperation should not be mistaken for choice. 

“The sheer tone-deafness exhibited here. Desperation for a paying job doesn’t equal willing consent. Nobody, yes, nobody needs 10 minute delivery that risks lives,” Pramesh wrote.

Sowmya Ramesh, an X user accused him of being dismissive of worker concerns and using harsh language for those protesting.

“The caste system worked like this, exploitative of human beings. It took a whole lot of people and one man to bring it all down and expose many a colour, yet it exists, and you are the last remnants of that and will be shown their place. Deepinder, sooner or later, will pay for your frivolous and intentional behaviour towards a society that’s struggling to survive. You will rue soon enough,” she wrote.

Dr. Datta, MD, Radiologist at AIIMS Delhi blamed consumers and corporate culture for encouraging what they called exploitative business models, arguing that gig workers are being unfairly packaged as beneficiaries of opportunity. 

“We are the reason why these Zepto, Blinkit, Zomato, Swiggy founders have GOD COMPLEXES! You cannot exploit people and then pretend to sell it off as ‘attractive opportunity’. These hyper capitalistic exploiters should either share a piece of the pie with the people on whose shoulders the systems stand or will be replaced by those who do,” he wrote.

One more post highlighted the contrast between corporate spending on marketing and the treatment of workers demanding basic protections. The user wrote, “You have money to run ads. You have money to hire actresses for ads. But people who are asking for basic rights are miscreants”. 

On the nationwide strike by gig workers, a delivery partner told news agency IANS, “After working for the whole day for 12, 14 hours, it comes around to Rs 1,000. After deducing 300-400 for petrol, I save only Rs 500-600. There is extreme cold, there’s a Protest and our payment should increase”.

Goyal hails gig economy 

Continuing his post, Goyal also mentioned that, “If a system were fundamentally unfair, it would not consistently attract and retain so many people who choose to work within it. Please don’t get swept up by narratives pushed by vested interests,”.

“The gig economy is one of India’s largest organised job creation engines, and its real impact will compound over time, when delivery partners’ children, supported by stable incomes and education, enter the workforce and help transform our country at scale,” he added.

Gig workers protest over pay, safety 

According to Goyal, more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners across Zomato and Blinkit completed over 75 lakh orders for more than 63 lakh customers in a single day. The post quickly went viral, with many on X criticising him for labelling protesters as “miscreants” and for celebrating record orders amid worker unrest.

ALSO READ

Goyal’s comments came just a day after delivery workers associated with platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy and Amazon held protests in multiple cities. 

The workers were demanding higher earnings, social security benefits and better safety measures, saying current working conditions were unfair. Several users on X pointed out that Goyal’s post focused on business success while ignoring the concerns raised by delivery partners, further fuelling the backlash.

Financial Express has reached out to Zomato for a response on the matter and is awaiting a reply. The story will be updated if and when the company responds.