Delivery partners working with leading app-based platforms across India have stepped up protests demanding a minimum assured monthly income of ₹40,000 along with formal labour rights and social security protections. The movement has brought fresh focus on the working conditions and income insecurity faced by millions employed in the country’s rapidly expanding gig economy.
Delivery workers associated with food delivery and quick-commerce platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto and others have participated in nationwide demonstrations, log-off protests and strikes across several major cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The protests are being coordinated by various gig worker unions and collectives, which argue that delivery partners are treated as independent contractors while being subjected to strict performance controls and penalties.
Workers say their earnings have become increasingly unstable, with fluctuating incentives, reduced per-order payouts and rising operational costs such as fuel, vehicle maintenance and mobile data. Many delivery partners report working long hours each day to earn a livable income, yet still lacking access to basic protections such as health insurance, accident coverage or paid leave. They also allege that account suspensions and penalties are often imposed without transparency or proper grievance redressal mechanisms.
The protests briefly disrupted delivery services in some areas, particularly during peak-demand periods. While platform companies have maintained that operations continued and cited high order volumes, worker unions claim large-scale participation and insist the agitation reflects deep-rooted dissatisfaction within the workforce. In response to the protests, some companies reportedly introduced temporary incentive hikes, but delivery partners argue that short-term bonuses do not solve the larger issue of income security.
The agitation has once again highlighted the broader debate over the legal status of gig workers in India. Although labour codes introduced by the government recognise gig and platform workers and promise social security coverage, implementation remains limited. Experts say the current situation leaves workers vulnerable, as they are neither fully covered by labour laws nor adequately protected through alternative mechanisms.
As talks and protests continue, delivery partners have stressed that their demand goes beyond higher pay. They are calling for dignity, stability and recognition as workers in an industry that has become essential to urban life and digital commerce in India.