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‘Avg earnings per hour were Rs 102’: Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal debunks delivery partners' low pay concerns

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ISN Team
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Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal debunks delivery partners' low pay concerns

Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal has pushed back against claims of low pay for delivery partners, saying average earnings on the platform rose to Rs 102 per hour in 2025, excluding tips.

In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), Goyal said the average earnings per hour (EPH) increased from Rs 92 in 2024, marking a year-on-year growth of about 10.9%.

He said that earnings per hour have shown steady growth over a longer period as well. Goyal said most delivery partners work only a few hours a day and a few days a month. However, if a partner were to work 10 hours a day for 26 days a month, gross monthly earnings would be about Rs 26,500.

After accounting for fuel and maintenance costs of around 20%, net monthly earnings would be roughly Rs 21,000, he said.

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He also said delivery partners receive 100% of customer tips, with no deductions. According to the post, the average tip per hour on Zomato was Rs 2.6 in 2025, compared to Rs 2.4 in 2024. Tips are transferred instantly, and the company absorbs payment gateway processing costs.

Goyal’s comments come at a time when food delivery and quick commerce platforms are facing protests and strike calls by gig worker unions demanding higher pay, improved working conditions and stronger social security protections.

Earlier, delivery workers associated with Zomato, Swiggy, Zepto, Blinkit, Amazon and Flipkart announced a nationwide strike on December 31, 2025. The call followed a similar nationwide protest held on Christmas Day, December 25, over the same set of demands.

The protests were called by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union in coordination with the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers. The unions argued that gig workers face rising costs and income uncertainty, particularly during peak demand periods.

Reports said that ahead of New Year’s Eve, Zomato, Swiggy and other platforms announced higher payouts for delivery partners as unions prepared for protests that could disrupt services during one of the busiest days of the year.

According to a PTI report, these incentive hikes were part of routine surge-pricing measures used during peak demand and were aimed at ensuring uninterrupted operations on the New Year.

Despite the strike calls, Goyal said on January 1 afternoon that Zomato and Blinkit delivered more than 75 lakh orders on New Year’s Eve, marking an all-time high for the platforms.

He said over 4.5 lakh delivery partners served more than 63 lakh customers during the day, enabling the platforms to cross the 75 lakh order milestone “despite nationwide strike calls by sections of gig worker unions.”

Netizens reaction

While Deepinder Goyal continues to address concerns over Blinkit’s 10-minute delivery service and pay issues faced by gig workers, netizens have offered sharply divided reactions. Many of them agreed to Goyal's view while others raised voice for systemic changes.

“Everyone screaming ‘GIG WORKERS ARE UNDERPAID!’ Generously tip your delivery person. Problem solved,” a user wrote.

“Facts > slogans. Rs 100+ crore insurance, accident + medical + maternity cover, NPS access, SOS support, rising hourly earnings — all paid by the platform. If this is ‘exploitation,’ name one informal job in India offering more with this flexibility. Narratives collapse when numbers show up,” another wrote.

“May be it is doable.. If delivery partner work for 3–6 months and above, the problem can be solved by making them equity partner, so incentives them. Every person working for company is an employee, If the company grows so do the employees,” a third noted.

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