Essentials for last minute party planning—the desserts, groceries and food—arrived on time till the evening of December 31, in keeping with the promise of quick deliveries. Across India, the streets were dotted with the familiar oranges, reds, purple, yellow, and greens of Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto riders weaving through traffic as if it were just another day.
The call for a nationwide strike by Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) by all gig workers across Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Amazon, Flipkart and other platforms seemed to have little impact.
“We have mobilised 1.5 lakh gig workers and hope that by December 31, the number goes up to 2 lakh. We have been asking platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Amazon, and Flipkart to talk to us about our demands, but no one has approached us. We had called for a strike on December 25 and now are preparing for a digital strike across three slots on December 31—from 2 pm to 4 pm, 4 pm to 8 pm, and 8 pm to midnight,” said Shaik Salauddin, national general Secretary of IFAT.
He added that the association has five key demands—regularisation of old payout structure, removal of 10-minute delivery promise across all apps, doing away with algorithmic control of gig worker behaviour, not blocking IDs of gig workers without following due process on complaints, and guarantee of dignity and social security for the workers.
None of the platforms—Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato or Zepto—commented on the strike or the demands.
Food delivery and quick commerce company Swiggy said, “At Swiggy, we are committed to empowering our delivery partners. As part of our standard process, enhanced incentives are offered on special occasions, such as festivals, allowing delivery partners to benefit from increased earning opportunities during peak demand periods across the year.”
Also Read: New labour codes shake up India’s gig economy
Across India—from Kolkata, Kochi, Mumbai, Delhi and Noida—Forbes India spoke to multiple delivery partners. Many had been logging long hours through the holiday season, fuelled by festive surges and special payouts. The information on the strike was scattered and the rumours were hurting their earnings more, especially on a day when payouts had been marked up.
“We have been able to do only three to four deliveries in the last six hours,” said a group of food delivery professionals waiting outside the City Centre Mall in Delhi’s Dwarka, Sector 12. They said the rumours around the strike had affected the number of orders.
In Kochi’s Thevara area, a group of friends decided to test their luck and ordered their favourite biryani, and later Instamart snacks. Within minutes, Anandhukrishna Kelamangalath arrived at their door. He was glad to be working. “We’re getting almost Rs 90 per order tonight,” he said, almost laughing at the irony. “It’s New Year’s Eve. Why wouldn’t I work?”
Because of the proposed strike and New Year rush, most platforms have increased their payouts to the delivery personnel.
Similar instances played out in Noida, Cuttack, Mumbai, and Kolkata, as the delivery personnel seemed unaware of the strike, or weren’t participating at all.
“We are being offered Rs 10 extra per delivery today and the company has given a signed assurance that they will take responsibility for further actions,” a Zomato delivery person told Forbes India.
A letter from Zomato, reviewed by Forbes India and payout notifications on the delivery personnel’s app, promised additional earnings of up to Rs 3,500 for logging for a minimum of 3.5 hours on December 31. The incentives ranged from Rs 10 for lunch-time deliveries, Rs 30 per order for deliveries between 12 pm to 4 pm, and Rs 90 per delivery between 6 pm to 10 pm.
The gig workers’ demands have been an ongoing issue, and the new labour codes address the issue of extending social security measures to gig workers across various platforms. However, it does not take a holistic approach to the gig economy. “We are required to pay a security deposit for the branded helmet, jacket and hot/cold cases, which we use while registering on the food delivery apps,” said one of the food delivery partners Forbes India spoke to.
IFAT claimed that, after the announcement of the strike, some of the platforms have sent notices to the gig workers to dissuade them from participating. The food delivery personnel in Delhi confirmed this, stating there was concern among their closed groups that their numbers will be blocked if they participate in the strike or switch off their apps.
Whether the strike has key impact on deliveries on a day when most of India is looking forward to ordering in will play out in the next few hours. However, the tug of war between the gig economy and the employers continues, despite celebrations, festive offers and the 10-minute guarantee.
First Published: Dec 31, 2025, 19:01
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