Deepinder Goyal Reveals Gig Worker Earnings: ₹102 Per Hour in 2025

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.

Zomato Delivery Partners Averaged ₹102 Per Hour in 2025

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.

How Earnings Were Calculated

Logged-In Time Matters

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.

Tips Still Play a Small Role

Average Tips Slightly Increased

• 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.

Most Gig Workers Didn’t Work Full-Time

Flexible — But Not Always Stable

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…"

The 10-Minute Delivery Debate

No Pressure to Ride Faster, Says Goyal

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.

Growing Debate Ahead of Gig Worker Movements

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.

Insurance and Social Security Support

Over ₹100 Crore Spent on Benefits in 2025

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.