Zomato, Blinkit deliver record 75 lakh+ orders on New Year's Eve despite strike calls: Deepinder Goyal

Zomato and Blinkit delivered more than 75 lakh orders on New Year’s Eve, setting an all-time record for both platforms, even as some gig worker unions called for a nationwide strike.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Eternal, which owns Zomato, said operations were not affected by strike calls that had circulated for several days. He said support from local law enforcement helped maintain order in many cities.

According to Goyal, more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners worked on New Year’s Eve and served over 63 lakh customers across the country. This allowed Zomato and Blinkit to cross the 75 lakh order mark in a single day, the highest ever for the platforms.

New Year’s Eve is typically one of the busiest days for food delivery and quick commerce services. Goyal said the record numbers were achieved without offering any special incentives beyond what is normally provided during this period. He added that higher payouts on New Year’s Eve are standard and that this year was no different from previous years.

“Thank you to our delivery partners who showed up despite intimidation, stood their ground, and chose honest work and progress,” he said.

Zomato and Blinkit delivered at a record pace yesterday, unaffected by calls for strikes that many of us heard over the past few days.

Support from local law enforcement helped keep the small number of miscreants in check, enabling 4.5 lakh+ delivery partners across both…

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) January 1, 2026

The statement comes amid ongoing concerns raised by gig worker unions over pay, safety, and account deactivations across platforms including Zomato, Blinkit, Instamart, Zepto, Flipkart, and Amazon. Nearly 40,000 delivery partners participated in a nationwide protest on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025. Several reports said the protest disrupted an estimated 50-60% of deliveries in multiple cities.

Responding to these criticisms, Goyal said that if the gig economy were truly unfair, it would not continue to attract and retain such a large number of workers. He also urged people not to be influenced by what he described as narratives pushed by vested interests.

“Please don’t get swept up by narratives pushed by vested interests,” Goyal said, adding that the gig economy has become one of India’s largest organised job creation systems.

He noted that its long-term impact will grow as delivery partners earn stable incomes, support their families, and help bring more people into the workforce.