Record-Breaking New Year’s Eve
Food delivery and quick commerce platforms Zomato and Blinkit delivered more than 75 lakh orders on New Year’s Eve, marking the highest single-day order volume ever recorded by the platforms. The milestone was achieved despite calls for a nationwide strike by sections of gig worker unions.
Operations Remain Unaffected
In a post on X, Deepinder Goyal, founder and chief executive officer of Eternal, which owns Zomato and Blinkit, said operations were not disrupted by the strike calls that had circulated in the days leading up to December 31. He added that support from local law enforcement agencies helped maintain order in several cities.
Scale of Deliveries and Workforce
According to Goyal, more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners were active on New Year’s Eve, serving over 63 lakh customers nationwide. The scale of participation enabled the platforms to cross the 75 lakh order mark in a single day, underscoring the surge in demand typically seen during year-end celebrations.
Incentives and Payouts
Goyal said the record volumes were achieved without offering any incentives beyond what is normally extended during the festive and year-end period. He noted that higher payouts on New Year’s Eve are standard practice and were consistent with previous years. In his post, he thanked delivery partners who continued working despite pressure and uncertainty.
Backdrop of Gig Worker Protests
The statement comes amid ongoing concerns raised by gig worker unions related to pay, safety, and account deactivations across platforms including Zomato, Blinkit, Instamart, Zepto, Flipkart and Amazon. Nearly 40,000 delivery partners participated in a nationwide protest on December 25, 2025, which reportedly disrupted 50–60 percent of deliveries in several cities.
Company Response to Criticism
Responding to criticism, Goyal said that the gig economy would not continue to attract large numbers of workers if it were inherently unfair. He urged observers not to be influenced by what he described as narratives driven by vested interests, adding that the gig economy has become one of India’s largest organised job creation systems.
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