Food delivery giant Zomato landed in the middle of a fresh controversy on Friday after founder Deepinder Goyal referred to gig workers as ‘miscreants’ amid widespread protests. The CEO also highlighted the high volume of orders fielded by Zomato and Blinkit on New Year’s eve as he defended the company’s operations. The comments have drawn widespread condemnation with the gig worker association issuing a vehement rebuttal.
A day after delivery workers linked to Zomato, Swiggy and Amazon staged protests in several cities, Goyal took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain why Zomato’s services continued uninterrupted. In his post, he claimed that the majority of delivery partners chose to work and alleged that a small group of ‘miscreants’ created trouble on the ground, forcing police intervention.
Explaining his position, Goyal wrote, “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”.
Strong response from gig worker union
The remarks, however, did not go down well with worker groups. The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union responded strongly, accusing the Zomato CEO of using harsh labels to dismiss genuine concerns raised by delivery partners.
The union said there was no proof to support claims of organised violence by workers and pointed instead to issues faced by those working on platforms.
“Mr @deepigoyal, branding protesting workers as“miscreants”, “fraudsters” or “political tools” is an old tactic—used when uncomfortable truths are raised. There is no independent evidence that unions led violence. What is documented is: arbitrary terminations,” the union wrote on X.
Mr @deepigoyal, Branding protesting workers as“miscreants”, “fraudsters” or “political tools” is an old tactic—used when uncomfortable truths are raised.
There is no independent evidence that unions led violence. What is documented is: arbitrary terminations, 1/2 https://t.co/UjIfw2pIpC
— Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (@TGPWU) January 1, 2026
Union flags arbitrary terminations and lack of appeal process
The union further highlighted what it described as systemic problems within platform-based work, arguing that workers are left with little protection or recourse when disputes arise.
In another sharp statement, it added, “No appeal process, & livelihoods switched off by algorithms. When workers demand dignity, they are labelled criminals. When companies deny rights, it’s called “innovation”. India deserves fair laws for gig workers—not fear, defamation, or divide-and-rule.”
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 on New Year’s Eve. The post quickly went viral, with many on X criticising him for labelling protesters as “miscreants” and for celebrating record orders amid worker unrest.