The debate around ultra-fast deliveries has resurfaced after gig worker unions flagged safety concerns during their December 31 strike call. While food and quick-commerce services on platforms such as Zomato and Blinkit were largely unaffected on New Year’s Eve, questions about whether 10-minute delivery models compromise rider safety gained momentum on social media.

Responding to the criticism, Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Zomato, shared a series of posts on X, clarifying how the 10-minute delivery promise works. He said the speed of delivery is enabled by infrastructure and store density, not by putting pressure on delivery partners.

“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,” Goyal wrote. He added that delivery partners do not see any delivery timer on their app and are not shown the promised delivery time given to customers.

Explaining the process, Goyal said that once an order is placed on Blinkit, it is picked and packed within about 2.5 minutes, after which the rider typically travels under 2 km in roughly 8 minutes, translating to an average speed of around 15 kmph. According to him, the assumption that faster delivery automatically means risky behaviour overlooks the complexity of the system design.

Addressing concerns about worker protection, Goyal said all delivery partners are covered by medical and life insurance. He also clarified that riders are not penalised for delayed deliveries, noting that delays are understood when things go wrong.

On the issue of long-term employment, Goyal said gig work is not intended to be permanent. He pointed out that most delivery partners work for a few months and move on, adding that annual attrition in delivery roles is around 65%, reinforcing the “gig” nature of the work.

Responding to broader criticism of the gig economy, Goyal acknowledged public scepticism but said many workers voluntarily choose platform work for its flexibility. He encouraged customers to speak directly with delivery partners to understand why they prefer such jobs, while also admitting that no system is perfect and improvements are always possible.

The comments come days after gig worker unions called strikes on December 25 and December 31, demanding better pay, social security, and safer working conditions. Although union leaders claimed strong participation, user experiences across cities suggested that deliveries on Zomato and Blinkit were largely uninterrupted.