Food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have rolled out enhanced incentives for their delivery partners ahead of New Year’s Eve, a standard practice they follow on festive periods, even as gig workers’ unions have called for a nationwide strike on December 31.
Industry sources said the incentives are aimed at ensuring minimal disruption in food delivery and quick commerce services during one of the busiest nights of the year.
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) have claimed that lakhs of gig workers are set to participate in the strike, demanding better payouts, improved working conditions, and enhanced safety measures.
In a joint statement, TGPWU said, “As of last night, over 1.7 lakh delivery and app-based workers across India have confirmed participation, with numbers expected to rise further by evening.”
The strike is expected to impact operations of platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto, especially during late evening hours when demand typically surges.
Zomato offers higher per-order payouts
Zomato has reportedly offered delivery partners payouts ranging from Rs 120 to Rs 150 per order during peak hours between 6 pm and 12 am on New Year’s Eve. The platform has also indicated that delivery partners could earn up to Rs 3,000 over the course of the day, subject to order volumes and availability.
Additionally, penalties on order denials and cancellations have been temporarily waived.
“This is part of our standard annual operating protocol during festive periods, which typically see higher earning opportunities due to increased demand,” an Eternal spokesperson was quoted by the PTI as saying. Eternal owns the Zomato and Blinkit brands.
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Swiggy announces peak-hour earnings push
Swiggy has also ramped up incentives for the year-end period. According to people aware of the development, the platform is offering delivery workers earnings of up to Rs 10,000 across December 31 and January 1.
For New Year’s Eve specifically, Swiggy is advertising peak-hour earnings of up to Rs 2,000 for the six-hour window between 6 pm and 12 am, a move aimed at ensuring adequate rider availability during high-demand hours.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, a spokesperson of Swiggy said, “At Swiggy, we are committed to empowering our delivery partners. As part of our standard process, enhanced incentives are offered on special occasions such as festivals, allowing delivery partners to benefit from increased earning opportunities during peak demand periods across the year.”
Union leaders said the December 31 strike follows a large-scale walkout on December 25, when thousands of delivery workers logged off platforms across Telangana and other regions.
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“The December 25 action sent a clear warning to platform companies about falling earnings, unsafe delivery pressure, and loss of dignity at work,” the unions said, adding that the lack of dialogue and concrete assurances has made the latest strike “unavoidable”.
The Gig and Platform Service Workers Union has also announced a nationwide shutdown, urging workers to switch off all work-related apps and abstain from providing services on December 31
