Zomato and Blinkit founder Deepinder Goyal has addressed recent concerns around rapid delivery timelines and gig worker welfare, while also highlighting record-breaking order volumes across both platforms on New Year’s Eve.
In a detailed post shared earlier on LinkedIn, Goyal clarified that Blinkit’s 10-minute delivery promise is driven by store density and system design, not by pressuring delivery partners to ride faster. He stated that delivery partners do not even see a countdown timer on their app indicating the promised delivery time to customers.
According to Goyal, orders placed on Blinkit are typically picked and packed within 2.5 minutes, after which riders travel an average distance of under two kilometres, usually completed in about eight minutes. This translates to an average riding speed of around 15 kmph, he said, countering claims that quick deliveries inherently involve unsafe practices.
He acknowledged that it is easy to assume that 10-minute deliveries put lives at risk, but emphasised that such assumptions often overlook the complexity of system design that enables speed through proximity rather than pressure. Goyal added that while no system is perfect, the portrayal of Blinkit’s operations on social media often comes from those unfamiliar with how the platform functions.
Addressing broader concerns around gig work, Goyal said that many Indians voluntarily choose platform-based work and, in some cases, even prefer it over traditional jobs. He encouraged sceptics to speak directly to delivery partners to understand their motivations, adding that the idea of widespread exploitation does not reflect reality.
Several hours later, Goyal shared another update highlighting Zomato and Blinkit’s operational performance on New Year’s Eve, a day that had seen calls for strikes over the past few days. He stated that both platforms operated uninterrupted, delivering at a record pace.
According to the update, more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners fulfilled over 75 lakh orders in a single day, reaching over 63 lakh customers — the highest single-day order volume to date. Goyal noted that this was achieved without offering any additional incentives beyond what is typically provided during New Year’s Eve, stating that the day was operationally similar to previous year-end peaks.
He credited support from local law enforcement for maintaining order and thanked on-ground teams for effective coordination. Goyal also expressed gratitude to delivery partners who continued working despite intimidation and chose what he described as “honest work and progress”.
Concluding his remarks, Goyal argued that if a system were fundamentally unfair, it would not consistently attract and retain such a large workforce. He described the gig economy as one of India’s largest organised job creation engines and said its long-term impact would grow as delivery partners’ families benefit from stable incomes and access to education.
The posts come amid heightened public scrutiny of quick commerce platforms, with Goyal positioning Blinkit’s delivery model as a function of logistics efficiency rather than worker pressure, while underscoring the scale and resilience of the gig economy ecosystem.
