Zomato, Blinkit hit all time high deliveries on Dec 31, says Deepinder Goyal amid gig worker protests

Food delivery platform Zomato and its express commerce arm Blinkit recorded their highest delivery volumes ever on New Year’s Eve, with operations running smoothly despite recent calls for strikes by delivery workers, Eternal co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal said on January 1.

In a post on He described the numbers as an all-time record, and said that the increase was handled without offering any special incentives beyond those usually offered on New Year’s Eve.

“Zomato and Blinkit delivered at a record pace yesterday, unaffected by the strike calls many of us have heard over the past few days. Support from local law enforcement helped keep the small number of miscreants in check, enabling 4.5 lakh+ delivery partners across both platforms to deliver over 75 lakh orders (an all-time high) to over 63 lakh customers during the day. This happened without any additional incentives for delivery partners – NYC is seeing higher incentives than usual days, and yesterday was “It’s no different than last New Year’s Day, and I’m grateful to local authorities across the country and to our teams on the ground for clear implementation and quick coordination.”

Strike calls and union demands

Goyal’s remarks came amid calls for a nationwide strike by delivery and platform workers on December 25 and 31, led by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers. The protests were intended to highlight concerns about wages, working conditions and algorithmic management.

While platform companies said the December 25 action only led to short and localized disruptions, labor unions demanded broader participation. According to union estimates, around 40,000 delivery workers joined the December 25 protest, while nearly 1.7 lakh workers participated in the December 31 strike, claiming delivery delays across multiple cities.

In the days leading up to New Year’s Eve, food delivery platforms also announced peak-hour incentives to ensure riders are available during periods of high demand. However, Goyal said payments on December 31 were in line with normal New Year’s Eve trends and were not specifically boosted in response to strike calls.

Swiggy points to strong demand as well

Rival platform Swiggy also reported a sharp rise in demand on New Year’s Eve. Co-founder Phani Kishan shared data on X highlighting significant increases in the category on Swiggy’s express commerce platform.

According to Kishan, grape sales have jumped 15 times, with around 2.35 lakh searches recorded for grapes as of 5 am. Cake sales rose seven-fold, barbecue-related items increased six-fold, drinks rose 3.5-fold, and party accessories such as glasses saw a 2.5-fold jump. Pizza bases, calendars and planners also recorded notable increases.

He also noted the largest single order of the night — two iPhones worth around INR 1.8 lakh — illustrating the expanding scope of quick business purchases. Strong demand has been seen not only in the Metro but also in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities including Lonavala, Karimnagar, Saharanpur, Davanagere, Patiala and Meerut.

Goyal responds to the criticism

Responding to criticism from trade unions, Goyal said the scale of participation in app-based delivery challenges claims of systemic injustice. A system that consistently attracts and retains such a large workforce cannot be fundamentally exploitative, he said, warning against what he called narratives driven by vested interests.

Goyal described the gig economy as one of the largest organized drivers of job creation in India, adding that its long-term impact will multiply as families of delivery partners benefit from stable income and access to education.

“Most importantly, thank you to our delivery partners who showed up despite intimidation, stood their ground, and chose honest work and progress. One thought for all: If the system is fundamentally unfair, it will not consistently attract and retain the many people who choose to work in it. Please don’t get carried away by narratives pushed by vested interests. The gig economy is one of the biggest engines of organized job creation in India, and its real impact will multiply over time, when the children of delivery partners, supported by With income, education, entry into the workforce and helping to transform our country on a massive scale.”