Would also believe that workers are being exploited, but…: Goyal on gig work after Zomato, Blinkit hit record deliveries

Eternal founder Deepinder Goyal on Thursday pushed back against what he called “private narratives,” saying allegations of exploitation of temporary workers do not reflect the facts on the ground.

His comments came in the wake of New Year’s Eve for Zomato and Blinkit, which together placed over 7.5 million orders, the highest ever order volume for the two platforms in a single day.

In a post on X, Goyal said that criticisms of express delivery often arise from a lack of understanding of the platform. “I understand why everyone thinks that a 10-minute delivery puts people’s lives at risk, because it is difficult to imagine the sheer complexity of the system design that enables such rapid deliveries,” he said.

Goyal also admitted that the model is not without flaws, but said the portrayal on social media is misleading. He added: “No system is perfect, and we are all striving to make it better than it is today. However, this is a far cry from what is portrayed on social media by people who do not understand how our system works and why.”

Earlier in the day, Goyal said Zomato and its express commerce arm Blinkit recorded their highest delivery volumes ever on New Year’s Eve, confirming what he described as voluntary participation by gig workers. In a post on

10 minute delivery

Goyal addressed criticism over Plinkett’s much-controversial 10-minute delivery promise, which labor groups and safety advocates say encourages reckless driving. Dismissing the claim, he said the model was based on store density rather than speed. “Our 10-minute delivery promise is enabled by the density of stores around your homes. It is not enabled by requiring delivery partners to drive fast,” he said.

He also explained that delivery partners don’t show any countdown timers. “Delivery partners do not have a timer in their app to indicate the original time they promised the customer,” he said.

Explaining the logistics, Goyal said orders are typically picked up and packed within about 2.5 minutes, after which passengers travel a distance of less than two kilometers in about eight minutes – meaning an average speed of about 15 kilometers per hour.

Misunderstanding of the system

Acknowledging public concern about safety, Goyal said criticism often stems from a misunderstanding of how express trade systems are designed. “I understand why everyone thinks 10 minutes must be risking their lives, because it is already difficult to imagine the sheer complexity of a system design that enables such rapid deliveries,” he wrote.

“One thought for all: If the system were fundamentally unjust, it would not consistently attract and retain so many people who choose to work within it,” he wrote, warning against “narratives driven by special interests.”

He urged critics to speak directly with implementation partners to understand their motivations. “If you want to know why millions of Indians are willingly taking up platform work and sometimes choosing it over regular jobs, just ask any rider when you get your next food or grocery order,” he said, adding: “You will be humbled by how rational and honest they are with you.”

He previously wrote that the increase in births came without any additional incentives beyond what is usually offered on New Year’s Eve. “More than 4.5 million delivery partners showed up for work,” he said, describing the size of the turnout as “significant” and rejecting claims that the strike reflects widespread discontent.

There is no perfect system

While defending the platform model, Goyal acknowledged that improvements were needed. “No system is perfect, and we are all in favor of making it better than it is today,” he said, adding that the gig economy is “a far cry from what is portrayed on social media by people who don’t understand how our system works and why.”

He added: “If I were outside the system, I would also think that independent workers are being exploited, but that is not true.”

Small group at play

In a separate post, Goyal claimed the strike unrest was driven by a small group and not the wider workforce. “Most of our delivery partners didn’t want to go on strike yesterday. The 0.1% miscreants I mentioned in the tweet below were illegally snatching packages from those who wanted to work, beating them, and threatening to damage their bikes. That’s why local law enforcement had to intervene on their own,” he wrote.

He also claimed: “So who are these contestants who are causing this problem? Largely those who have been terminated by the system due to repeated abuse and fraud on the platform… These individuals want to twist us into allowing them to return to the platforms… And they are probably supported and abetted by politically motivated individuals who just want to stir up chaos for media gain.”

Goyal’s comments come amid intense scrutiny of gig working conditions, even as platforms say size, flexibility and choice continue to attract workers across India.