Deepinder Goyal on 10-minute delivery promise amid gig workers' strike: ‘No system is perfect, and we are…’

Online food delivery platform Zomato's parent company, Eternal, founder Deepinder Goyal, on Thursday, 1 January 2026, reacted to the 10-minute delivery promise amid the gig workers' strike on New Year's Eve, acknowledging that no system is perfect and there is always scope for improvement.

Goyal highlighted how the actual situation of gig workers in the industry is different from what is being portrayed on social media by people who don't understand the system.

“No system is perfect, and we are all for making it better than today. However, it is far from what it is being portrayed on social media by people who don't understand how our system works and why. If I were outside the system, I would also believe that gig workers are being exploited, but that's not true,” said Goyal in his post on X.

What's behind the 10-minute delivery?

Deepinder Goyal explained how, after every order is placed on Blinkit, the items are picked and packed within nearly 2.5 minutes before being picked up by the delivery partners.

After the order is picked up, the delivery partner typically travels less than two kilometres in roughly 8 minutes with an average speed of 15 kmph to deliver it to the customers.

“I understand why everybody thinks why 10 minutes must be risking lives, because it is indeed hard to imagine the sheer complexity of the system design which enables quick deliveries,” said Goyal in his post.

Deepinder Goyal also clarified that the 10-minute delivery promise is enabled by the density of stores around your homes and not by asking delivery partners to drive fast.

“Delivery partners don’t even have a timer on their app to indicate what was the original time promised to the customer,” he said.

Do people prefer it to regular jobs?

Deepinder Goyal also said that he understands that people may think that 10 minutes must be risking the lives of the delivery executives, but it has more to do with the ‘sheer complexity of the system design, which enables quick deliveries’.

The founder also highlighted that if people want to know the reason why millions of Indians are choosing to take up platform work, and sometimes even prefer it over regular jobs, then they should ask any rider who is delivering the next food or grocery order.

“Also, if you've ever wanted to know why millions of Indians voluntarily take up platform work and sometimes even prefer it to regular jobs, JUST ASK any rider partner when you get your next food or grocery order,” said Deepinder Goyal in his post on X. “You will be humbled by how rational and honest they will be with you,” he said.

Gig workers' strike — Details

The Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) said that more than 1 lakh workers across 22 cities participated in the strike, including nearly 14,000 of its members from major centres such as Delhi and Mumbai, reported the news agency PTI.

The nationwide strike was announced on 31 December 2025, in an effort to demand rights related to the welfare and dignity of gig and platform workers across India.

GIPSWU called for all gig workers, platform workers, digital platform workers, app-based workers, and online freelancers to participate in the national strike by shutting down all work-related applications for New Year's Eve.

“All gig workers, platform workers, digital platform workers, app-based workers, and online freelancers are earnestly requested to participate in the national strike by shutting down all work-related applications and abstaining from providing services on 31 December 2025, thereby making the strike united and effective,” according to the Union's announcement.