Preparations for New Year's celebrations are underway in cities and villages across the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. In large and small cities alike, from homes and offices to picnic spots, party and celebration preparations often rely on online delivery of food and grocery items. Whether you crave burgers, pizza, pasta, paneer lababdar, or chicken chow mein, you simply pick up your phone and order from Zomato or Swiggy, and your order arrives in minutes. If you want to cook something at home, you order groceries from Zepto, Blinkit, Big Basket, or Instamart, and the items arrive in minutes. But this time, it won't be that easy, because gig workers who deliver your orders on all these online platforms are on strike nationwide.

Especially on New Year's Eve, December 31st, platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto, and BigBasket see a surge in orders, but today, Wednesday, December 31, 2025, the nationwide strike by gig workers could bring everything to a standstill. If you've ordered a gift for your family, friends, or someone special, and the delivery was scheduled for December 31st, it might not arrive on time. This is because delivery boys (gig workers) associated with major platforms like Flipkart and Amazon are also participating in this strike.

So, what can you do?
First of all, don't panic. In Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, Bengaluru, or any other city, there will surely be grocery stores in your neighborhood. Many of these stores offer home delivery services. Their delivery boys are their own staff, meaning they are not affected by the gig worker strike. What you need to do is create a list of 2-4 shops in your area that offer home delivery services. Note down their contact numbers. Write the number next to the shop's name on your list. You can also save the numbers on your mobile phone.

How to order food items?
The formula is the same. There will be many restaurants, hotels, etc., within a 1-2 kilometer radius of your home. Find out which ones offer home delivery. Note down their numbers and get a menu card from each of them. Then more than half of your worries are over. You can order your favorite food items from home, and in a few minutes, you can enjoy the delicious items you ordered with your loved ones.

Using the WhatsApp service
Many grocery stores and restaurants in your area that offer home delivery also have WhatsApp numbers for online orders. You can save their numbers on your mobile phone. Sagar Verma, who runs a grocery store in Noida Sector 15 society, explained that you have to type the menu and your order on WhatsApp, provide your complete home address, and the store's delivery person will arrive at your doorstep with the goods in a short time. Similarly, grocery stores and restaurants in almost every society provide this service.

Note down this important number:
If you are new to the city or have recently moved to a new society or neighborhood, and you don't know about the grocery stores, shops, hotels, or restaurants in your area, don't worry. You must have heard of JustDial. Just call JustDial for help.

The number is: 088888 88888 (JustDial Customer Care). When your call is answered, tell them about your area and ask for information about grocery stores, shops, hotels, or restaurants that offer home delivery. They will provide you with their contact numbers. See, your worries are gone! So just relax and enjoy the New Year celebrations.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Navbharat Times. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content