Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday highlighted what he called the harsh realities of India’s gig economy after a social media post showed a Blinkit delivery executive earning just ₹762.57 despite completing 28 deliveries in a single day.
According to the screenshot shared by Chadha on X, the delivery agent worked for nearly 15 hours — clocking 14 hours and 39 minutes — to complete the orders. His total earnings included ₹690.57 from deliveries and ₹72 as incentive, translating to an average hourly income of roughly ₹52.
“This is not a ‘gig economy success story’,” Chadha wrote. “This is systemic exploitation hidden behind apps and algorithms.”
The lawmaker said the example reflected what millions of gig workers experience daily, pointing to low pay, demanding targets and the absence of job security or social protection. Chadha added that he had recently raised concerns about gig worker conditions in Parliament.
Check out Raghav Chadha's post here:
“India cannot build a digital economy on the backs of underpaid, overworked human beings,” he said, calling for fair wages, humane working hours and social security safeguards for gig workers.
The post also triggered wider discussion online, with an investor breaking down the economics behind the earnings. Assuming an average distance of 4km per delivery — including pick-up and drop — the rider would have travelled around 112km in a day. With a vehicle mileage of roughly 40km per litre, fuel costs alone could amount to about ₹300.
Factoring in food and basic daily expenses further erodes take-home pay. “A decent meal costs ₹50 to ₹100. That’s ₹150 to ₹300 a day just on food,” the investor noted, estimating that the delivery worker may be left with as little as ₹150 to ₹200 after expenses, despite riding over 100km in heavy traffic and stressful conditions.
See the original video here:
The investor added that delivery personnel “do a fabulous job” and deserve to earn more, while questioning whether India’s reluctance to pay for delivery services is contributing to the problem.
The debate has once again put the spotlight on working conditions in India’s rapidly expanding gig economy, even as quick-commerce platforms continue to grow at a rapid pace.
A user wrote, “Delivery riders battle heavy traffic, extreme heat, rain, and pollution every day, risking their lives for 10-minute orders and low pay. Ban ultra-fast deliveries! Ensure fair pay & safety for gig workers.”
Another user wrote, “Make it law: like in the USA and Canada, you must be paid at least minimum wage per day. How does this make sense?”
“All that Gig economy workers get is peanuts. Consumers cheap convenience is being burdened on millions of jobless youth who are forced to work cheaper than uneducated unskilled labour,” the third user wrote.
