‘Not a rant’: Raghav Chadha says gig economy can’t become a guilt-free exploitation economy

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha says he met with delivery riders who work for platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy and Blinkit. He said delivery agents made instant-commerce the giant it is today but are now struggling to be heard.

This comes after Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal said Zomato and Blinkit delivered “at a record pace” on December 31, despite a call for strike by delivery agents. Swiggy and magicpin also stated that they recorded a massive surge in orders on New Year’s Eve. 

This has kickstarted a debate on social media about the exploitation of gig workers. While many have spoken about how gig works are not permanent jobs, and are undertaken by many as a stop-gap or to make some quick money, Chadha called it exploitation. Goyal said the platforms do not ask the delivery agents to deliver in 10 minutes. “Our 10 minute delivery promise is enabled by the density of stores around your homes. It’s not enabled by asking delivery partners to drive fast,” he said. 

Chadha in his latest post added: “I sat down with delivery riders of Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit etc. This is not a rant. This is a conversation with those whose lives power our everyday comfort. It’s tragic that millions of delivery riders who helped build instant-commerce companies into what they are today, are now forced to protest just to be heard. These platforms didn’t succeed because of algorithms alone. They succeeded because of human sweat and labour. It’s time companies start treating riders as human beings, not disposable data points. The gig economy cannot become a guilt-free exploitation economy.”

Despite the strike, Swiggy, Zomato, and magicpin each reported unprecedented order volumes. Despite demands for better payouts and working conditions, the agitation had minimal impact on operations, according to company statements.

The Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) said over 1 lakh workers from 22 cities joined the strike, including 14,000 from major urban centres. However, this is a small fraction of India's estimated 12.7 million gig workers, a number projected by NITI Aayog to grow to 23.5 million by 2029-30.

While Anshoo Sharma, CEO of Magicpin, said there was "no impact" of the strike, Goyal credited the successful operation to law enforcement and local teams, and thanked "delivery partners who showed up despite intimidation". He cautioned against "narratives pushed by vested interests", asserting that the sector continued to attract and retain workers due to its scale and opportunities.