Zomato founder and CEO Depinder Goyal has responded to reports of a nationwide delivery worker strike on December 31, saying that Zomato and Blinkit operations continued at full pace and achieved record order volumes on New Year’s Eve.
In a public post shared after December 31, Goyal said delivery services across both platforms remained unaffected by strike calls that had circulated 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 wrote.
Record Deliveries on One of the Busiest Days
According to Goyal, more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners across Zomato and Blinkit completed over 75 lakh orders in a single day, serving more than 63 lakh customers. He described the numbers as an all time high for the platforms.
He also addressed concerns around incentives, saying no special payments were introduced to counter the strike.
“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 said.
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Law Enforcement Support Played a Role
Goyal credited local authorities for helping maintain order and ensuring deliveries continued without major disruptions.
“Support from local law enforcement helped keep the small number of miscreants in check,” he said, adding that this support enabled delivery partners to continue working smoothly.
He thanked authorities and internal teams for their coordination during the high demand period.
“I am grateful to local authorities across the country and to our teams on the ground for clear enforcement and swift coordination,” Goyal wrote.
Message to Delivery Partners
The Zomato CEO also expressed appreciation for delivery partners who continued working during the day, despite what he described as intimidation.
“Most importantly, thank you to our delivery partners who showed up despite intimidation, stood their ground, and chose honest work and progress,” he said.
Defence of the Gig Economy
Responding to criticism of platform based work, Goyal defended the gig economy model and questioned claims that it is fundamentally unfair.
“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,” he wrote.
He urged readers not to accept narratives that he said were driven by vested interests.
“Please don’t get swept up by narratives pushed by vested interests,” Goyal added.
Long Term View on Gig Work
Goyal said the gig economy plays a significant role in employment generation in India and argued that its impact will grow over time.
“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 wrote.
The statement comes at a time when gig worker unions continue to press for stronger regulations, better safety measures and social security benefits, highlighting the ongoing debate between platform companies and delivery workers over the future of gig work in India.
