Food delivery major Zomato and quick commerce platform Blinkit closed 2025 on a historic high, clocking a combined 75 lakh orders on New Year’s Eve, even as sections of gig workers went ahead with a nationwide strike call. The milestone was confirmed by Deepinder Goyal, founder of Eternal, the parent company of both platforms.
In a post shared on social media, Goyal said more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners were active across Zomato and Blinkit on December 31, serving over 63 lakh customers in a single day. According to him, coordination with local law enforcement helped prevent disruptions, allowing operations to continue smoothly despite calls for work stoppages.
New Year’s Eve is traditionally the busiest day of the year for food delivery and quick commerce companies, and this year proved no different. Zomato offered delivery partners payouts of roughly Rs 120 to Rs 150 per order, in line with incentives offered during previous New Year periods. Goyal clarified that no extraordinary incentives were rolled out beyond the usual festive-day structure.
Labour unions, however, presented a contrasting picture. Worker groups including the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers and the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union claimed that around 2.1 lakh gig workers participated in strikes on December 25 and December 31. Their demands centred on higher pay, improved safety conditions, social security benefits, and an end to ultra-fast delivery timelines, which they argue increase accident risks.
Despite the protests, companies had prepared extensively for the year-end surge. Industry executives said internal war rooms were set up to manage order spikes, logistics load, and customer support, continuing a trend seen over the past two years as New Year’s Eve order volumes hit fresh records annually.
Commenting on the broader debate, Goyal said the scale and consistency of participation from delivery partners reflected confidence in the platform model. He described the gig economy as one of India’s largest organised job creators, adding that its long-term impact would be felt as stable incomes enable better education and opportunities for workers’ families.
The record-breaking New Year performance underlines both the growing dependence on app-based delivery and the unresolved tensions shaping the future of gig work in India.
