At the very least, there is a case for platform companies to meet or subsidise the fuel costs and health expenditure of their delivery workers, considering that travel and health are an intrinsic part of her or his work. However, most delivery apps dodge this principle by classifying their workers as ‘partners’ rather than employees. The introduction of new labour codes is a good occasion to close this loophole.
The strike by delivery workers across India on New Year’s Eve has swung the glare to the ultra-fast delivery model adopted by quick commerce companies in India. Gig workers’ unions are demanding the removal of the 10-minute delivery option from their apps. They argue that breakneck timelines are putting undue pressure on delivery workers and resulting in dangerous driving and psychological stress. Failure to meet delivery timelines triggers penalties that cut into gig workers’ income. So, they are having to work longer and take risks on the road just to earn a living wage.
Data on delivery workers’ vulnerability to traffic stress and road accidents tends to be anecdotal but plausible. One union says that in Hyderabad, six delivery workers died in road accidents related to 10-minute delivery pressure in 2025. Traffic violations by delivery personnel jumped from 31,000 in 2023 to over 63,000 in the first nine months of 2025.
Delivery workers’ demand for higher pay and fairer treatment by an algorithm-based work regime is understandable. Average monthly take-home pay for a full-time gig worker working 10–12 hours a day ranges between Rs 15,000 and Rs 22,000, which, however, is eroded by fuel, data, and vehicle maintenance costs.
In terms of a per-hour rate, a gig worker is no better off than a semi-skilled daily wage labourer. A daily-wager in the construction sector typically earns about Rs 100 per hour of an eight-hour shift. In contrast, a typical gig worker gets to earn Rs 18,000 a month working 12 hours a day, at an effective hourly rate of Rs 55-60.
At the very least, there is a case for platform companies to meet or subsidise the fuel costs and health expenditure of their delivery workers, considering that travel and health are an intrinsic part of her or his work. However, most delivery apps dodge this principle by classifying their workers as ‘partners’ rather than employees. The introduction of new labour codes is a good occasion to close this loophole.
However, the demand to discontinue quick delivery needs to be viewed from a wider perspective. Critics of the quick commerce model tend to see 10-minute delivery as an unnecessary indulgence of the urban consumer who is too lazy to fetch his or her own groceries. In reality, the model has come into vogue the world over largely due to the relentless demands corporate employment makes upon the time of citizens. Reliance on delivery apps, hence, is an outcome of the need to save time and cope with the exigencies of urban life rather than a symptom of privileged indulgence.
According to the ILO, Indian employees are among the most overworked people, clocking an average of 45.8 hours per week, significantly higher than in developed economies. Plus, an average Indian professional spends 754 hours per year (equivalent to 68 full working days) stuck in traffic, and roughly 8.6% of the day commuting to and from work. Urban working women carry twice the burden, having to do unpaid domestic tasks as well. They spend an average of 6.5 hours daily on paid employment while still dedicating 7 hours to domestic and care work.
The solution, therefore, is not only to improve wages and conditions for delivery workers but also to bring in laws to limit the ingress of work into personal life. A good start would be to enact the Bill moved by MP Supriya Sule to bar employers from demanding employees’ time after work hours.