Platforms Hike Payouts to Counter Strike; Zomato and Blinkit Serve 6.3 Million Customers

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India’s food delivery giants, Zomato and Swiggy, reported a massive surge in orders on New Year’s Eve 2025, maintaining that a nationwide strike by a section of gig workers had a "negligible impact" on their festive operations. Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal confirmed that Zomato and Blinkit together delivered over 75 lakh orders to 63 lakh customers, powered by 4.5 lakh active partners. This record-breaking volume was supported by aggressive incentive structures, with Zomato offering peak-hour payouts of up to ₹150 per order and Swiggy advertising potential two-day earnings of up to ₹10,000 to ensure rider availability.

However, the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) painted a different picture, claiming that over 1 lakh workers across 22 cities joined the strike to demand better payouts and an end to "unsafe" 10-minute delivery models. While the platforms framed the high order count as a testament to the gig economy's resilience, labor leaders argued that the "partner" classification continues to deny workers essential social security and industrial status. Despite the record business, the agitation underscores an escalating conflict between platform profitability and the welfare of the millions who form the backbone of India's last-mile delivery system.