"Not A Rant": Raghav Chadha Urges Companies To Treat Gig Workers As Human Beings

The delivery partners shared alarming accounts of their day-to-day struggles, including long working hours, low pay and unmet promises.

02 Jan 2026, 08:44 · www.ndtv.com

Show
Quick Read
Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed

Raghav Chadha spent New Year's Eve hearing delivery riders' struggles in Old Rajinder Nagar
Riders reported long hours, low pay, unpaid cancellations, and no protective gear provided
Many riders face health issues from climbing floors and suffer penalties for delays

Did our AI summary help?
Let us know.
Switch To Beeps Mode

Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha spent New Year's Eve with delivery riders from Zomato, Swiggy and other food delivery platforms in Old Rajinder Nagar and heard firsthand their grievances and challenges they face in the gig economy.

The delivery partners shared alarming accounts of their day-to-day struggles, including long working hours, low pay and unmet promises. Raghav said the meeting wasn't a rant but a conversation "with those whose lives power our everyday comfort."

Many said the rate card, which was earlier Rs 20, has now dropped to zero. Despite working 16 to 17 hours, total earnings often ranged between Rs 800 and Rs 900, they said, adding that if the order gets cancelled, it is not counted, wasting 2 to 2.5 hours of their time.

Some riders also shared a screenshot of their apps, showing that even after completing around 5 to 6 orders in six hours, they earned as little as Rs 200 to 250.

Another issue raised during the meeting was climbing multiple floors without lifts. One rider shared an incident where he had to climb to the 14th floor because the service lift was broken and the guard denied access to the main lift.

Another said that whether it was the 15th or 50th floor, they are required to deliver the order; otherwise, they risk getting pay cut or IDs blocked. Many riders reported suffering from knee and back problems due to repeated climbing and heavy work.

Riders also reported that no protective gear was provided. Uniforms, jackets, raincoats, and bags often come at the rider's cost, ranging from Rs 500 to 1,200.

When Chadha asked about insurance and health benefits, he was told that accidents were rarely compensated, and insurance didn't cover cases like murder or theft. One rider shared that a fellow rider was murdered, but the company refused to pay. Another mentioned that if an order is delayed due to traffic or other circumstances beyond their control, the rider is penalised.

Some riders also face harassment from customers demanding extra items like cigarettes or alcohol; failure to deliver these leads to complaints against them.

Raghav assured the employees that he would meet the teams at Swiggy, Instamart, Zomato, and Blinkit to push for concrete solutions. He urged riders to share key issues and grievances so that actionable steps could be taken.

They suggested key measures to improve working conditions, such as guaranteed payouts, reimbursement for expenses such as maintenance cost or petrol, assigning only the required number of riders per zone, clear per kilometer rates and better safety measures.

In an X post, Raghav wrote, "It's tragic that millions of delivery riders who helped build instant-commerce companies into what they are today, are now forced to protest just to be heard. These platforms didn't succeed because of algorithms alone. They succeeded because of human sweat and labour."

"It's time companies start treating riders as human beings, not disposable data points. The gig economy cannot become a guilt-free exploitation economy," he added.

Earlier in the day, Zomato co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal responded to a range of questions on late penalties, insurance for gig workers, and partners breaking traffic rules. He stated that all delivery partners were provided with medical and life insurance.

He also responded to a user who asked whether delivery partners were penalised if they were late by three to five minutes, clarifying that there were no such charges.

The company's quick delivery promise is driven by the large number of Blinkit stores located close to residential areas, he said. "Our 10-minute delivery promise is enabled by the density of stores around your homes. It's not enabled by asking delivery partners to drive fast," he wrote.

Deepinder further said that delivery partners choose platform work willingly and, in some cases, prefer it to traditional jobs. He urged critics to speak directly to riders to understand their perspective. "You will be humbled by how rational and honest they will be with you," he wrote.

Show full article

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world