Amid the debate on gig workers’ payouts and working conditions, Eternal Founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal said this model does not pressure riders, and flexible schedules and welfare benefits make gig work a reliable source of income for many.

Eternal owns Zomato and Blinkit businesses.

His remarks come at a time when gig workers’ unions have been staging protests, demanding better payouts and improved working conditions.

“In 2025, Zomato and Blinkit spent over Rs 100 crore on insurance coverage for delivery partners. In 2025, average earnings per hour (EPH), excluding tips, for a delivery partner on Zomato were Rs 102. In 2024, this number was Rs 92. That’s a ~10.9 pc year-on-year increase. Over a longer horizon also, EPH has shown steady growth,” Goyal said on X.

He claimed that the 10-minute delivery promise does not pressure riders, explaining how flexible schedules and welfare benefits make gig work a reliable source of income for many.

However, his comments drew mixed responses from internet users on X, with several accusing riders of rash driving and violating traffic rules to meet 10- minute delivery deadlines.

The Gig & Platform Services Workers’ Union (GIPSWU) last month wrote to Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya raising several issues, with a key highlight being their demand to “urgently discontinue 10-20-minute service delivery mandates to prioritise worker safety”.

Goyal also batted for “less regulation” for India’s gig economy, arguing that it will eventually help bring more people into the “organised” workforce.

“Delivery partners are not overworked on our platforms. In 2025, the average delivery partner on Zomato worked 38 days in the year and 7 hours per working day, reflecting true gig style participation rather than fixed schedules. Only 2.3 pc of partners worked more than 250 days in the year. Demanding full-time employee benefits like PF, or guaranteed salaries for gig roles doesn’t align with what the model is built for,” he argued.

The Eternal founder said most delivery partners work for a few hours and only a few days in a month.

“But if someone were to work for 10 hours/day, 26 days/month, this translates to ~Rs 26,500/month in gross earnings. After accounting for fuel and maintenance (~20 pc), the net earnings for the partner are ~Rs 21,000/month,” he stated.

In November, the government notified all four labour codes, ushering in major reforms, including universal social security coverage for gig workers.

The labour ministry has proposed a 90-day annual work threshold as the mandatory eligibility criteria for gig and platform workers to access social security under new draft rules on the Social Security Code 2020, published on December 31.

According to estimates, there are over 12.7 million gig workers in India, with government think tank NITI Aayog saying this workforce is expected to rise to 23.5 million by 2029-30.