Zomato, Blinkit parent Eternal reports record New Year’s Eve orders despite gig worker strike call

Eternal, the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, said its delivery operations on New Year’s Eve were largely unaffected by calls for a nationwide gig worker strike, reporting record order volumes across both platforms on December 31.

In a series of posts, Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal said more than 75 lakh orders were delivered across Zomato and Blinkit on the day, marking the highest single-day volume for the company. According to Goyal, the deliveries were carried out by over 4.5 lakh delivery partners, serving more than 63 lakh customers. He added that local authorities intervened in some areas following reports of on-ground disruptions.

Goyal said the record deliveries were completed without offering any additional incentives beyond the standard higher payouts typically provided during New Year’s Eve, noting that compensation structures were consistent with previous years.

Also read: Britannia Industries receives ₹108.5 Cr GST demand order from Chennai tax authority

The comments come amid calls by gig worker unions for a nationwide strike on December 31, with demands including higher pay, improved safety measures, greater transparency in incentive systems, access to social security benefits, and the immediate withdrawal of ultra-fast delivery models such as 10-minute delivery. The Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT) had claimed that over two lakh delivery workers participated in protests across platforms.

In the run-up to New Year’s Eve, food delivery and quick commerce platforms had announced enhanced peak-hour incentives, citing seasonal demand. Worker unions, however, said such measures do not address what they describe as long-term structural issues in the gig economy.

Addressing criticism around rapid delivery timelines, Goyal said Blinkit’s delivery promises are shaped by store density and backend design rather than pressure on delivery partners. He added that delivery partners do not see customer-facing delivery timelines on their apps.

Also read: Warner Bros Discovery likely to reject Paramount Skydance hostile bid despite Ellison guarantee

Providing operational details, Goyal said Blinkit orders are typically picked and packed within 2.5 minutes, followed by an average delivery distance of under two kilometres completed in about eight minutes, translating to an average riding speed of around 15 kmph.

In a separate post, Goyal said the company believes most delivery partners chose not to participate in the strike and alleged that a small group attempted to disrupt operations by stopping others from working. He claimed these individuals were largely former delivery partners removed from the platform for repeated violations, prompting intervention by local authorities.

Goyal added that while the company acknowledges no system is without flaws, it remains open to improving its processes and disagreed with claims that delivery timelines are achieved through unsafe practices.

While platforms have maintained that New Year’s Eve operations remained stable, gig worker unions said their demands remain unresolved and that protests are aimed at pushing for regulatory and policy changes in India’s platform economy.