As conversations around gig worker pay and safety intensify, Zomato Founder & Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal has released platform data showing what delivery partners actually earned in 2025 — and how often they worked.
The national debate around gig workers — wages, working hours, safety, and protections — has been heating up across social media and policy circles. In the middle of this discussion, Deepinder Goyal shared internal platform data on X, offering a clearer picture of delivery partner earnings.
According to the data, delivery workers earned an average of ₹102 per hour in 2025, up from ₹92 per hour in 2024 — marking an 11% annual increase.
Goyal emphasized that delivery partners worked intermittently rather than full-time, averaging 38 working days in the year.
Average earnings per hour (EPH), excluding tips, rose 11% from ₹92 in 2024 to ₹102 in 2025.
Goyal explained that EPH is calculated based on total logged-in time, including waiting periods.
He highlighted that while peak-hour earnings can be higher, they don’t represent the true average.
Using the 2025 EPH figure, Goyal estimated that a partner working consistently could earn roughly:
₹26,500 gross per month at 10 hours/day, 26 days/month
Around ₹21,000 net monthly after fuel and maintenance (approx. 20% expenses)
He also clarified that:
Delivery partners receive 100 percent of customer tips, with no deductions.
Average tip per hour in 2025: ₹2.6
Average tip per hour in 2024: ₹2.4
About 5% of Zomato orders and 2.5% of Blinkit orders included tips.
While tipping culture is growing, it still makes up a smaller portion of total earnings.
Goyal said gig workers generally log in when convenient rather than adopting fixed shifts.
In 2025:
Average partner worked 38 days a year
Average 7 hours per working day
Only 2.3% worked more than 250 days
He stated in his post:
"Delivery partners are not assigned shifts or geographies. They determine when to log in and log out, and their area of work in a specific city…"
Addressing concerns that fast-commerce timelines create unsafe driving pressure, Goyal said delivery partners do not see countdown timers in the app.
He added that average riding speeds show normal traffic behavior, not rushed driving:
Blinkit average order distance: 2.03 km
Average Blinkit drive time: ~8 minutes
Speed: ~16 kmph
Zomato delivery speeds: ~21 kmph
Goyal suggested logistics networks — not speed — shape delivery expectations. However, gig workers continue to argue that tight delivery promises influence customer pressure.
The data was released just as calls for a gig worker strike on December 31 escalated, amplifying discussions on:
income stability
rising expectations
safety on urban roads
platform accountability
Road safety, Goyal said, requires shared responsibility across infrastructure, enforcement, customers, and workers.
Goyal highlighted that Zomato and Blinkit invested more than ₹100 crore in worker insurance in 2025.
Benefits include:
Accident insurance — up to ₹10 lakh
Medical cover — ₹1 lakh + OPD
Loss-of-pay insurance — up to ₹50,000
Maternity cover — up to ₹40,000
SOS emergency services
Tax-filing help
Gig-linked National Pension Scheme
Rest days for women partners
These measures, he said, are fully funded by the platforms.