Amid the ongoing debate over gig workers' earnings and working conditions, Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Eternal (formerly Zomato), said the system does not put pressure on delivery workers and flexible working hours and welfare benefits make gig work a reliable source of income for many. Eternal owns food delivery company Zomato and quick-commerce firm Blinkit. Goyal's comments come at a time when gig workers' organisations are protesting demanding better pay and working conditions.What has Deepinder Goyal said?Goyal wrote on the social media platform X, "Zomato and Blinkit spent over ₹100 crore on insurance coverage for delivery associates in 2025. The average hourly earnings of a delivery associate on Zomato (excluding gratuity) in 2025 will be ₹102, compared to ₹92 in 2024. This represents an annual growth of approximately 10.9 percent." He claimed that the promise of 10-minute delivery does not put any additional pressure on gig workers.Goyal said that flexible working hours and welfare benefits make gig work a reliable source of income for many people. However, his comments received mixed reactions on social media. Many users alleged that gig workers drive fast and recklessly and violate traffic rules to meet the 10-minute deadline. What is the demand for gig workers?Last month, the Gig and Platform-Based Service Workers Union wrote to Labor and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya raising several issues. Chief among these demands was the immediate removal of the 10-20-minute delivery requirement, prioritizing worker safety.Goyal also advocated for less regulation for India's gig economy, saying this would ultimately help bring more people into the organised workforce."Delivery workers on our platform are not overworked. In 2025, an average delivery worker on Zomato worked 38 days a year, approximately seven hours per working day. This reflects actual gig-style engagement rather than fixed schedules. Only 2.3 percent of associates worked more than 250 days a year. Demands for full-time employee benefits, such as provident fund or assured salary, for gig roles are not consistent with this system," he said.
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