Food delivery platforms Swiggy and Zomato have raised incentives for their delivery workers during peak hours and year-end days amidst a nationwide strike call by gig and platform workers.
Zomato is offering delivery partners payouts of Rs 120–150 per order during peak hours from 6 pm to 12 am, anticipating higher order volumes around New Year’s Eve. The company has also assured earnings of up to Rs 3,000 for the day, depending on order volumes and availability, and has temporarily waived penalties on order denials and cancellations to mitigate income risks during fluctuating order flow.
Swiggy has announced that delivery workers can earn up to Rs 10,000 on December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026, with peak-hour pay reaching up to Rs 2,000 between 6 pm and 12 am on New Year’s Eve. Additionally, Zepto, a quick commerce player, has also increased incentives for delivery partners.
During the strike on December 25, 2025, there were minor disruptions in food delivery, but platforms reported that operations normalized later in the day. Unions are claiming broader participation and are encouraging ongoing mobilization on December 31, 2025.
On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Swiggy Limited shares were trading at Rs 390.55 each, down Rs 13.45 or 3.33% over the past five days. Similarly, the parent company of Zomato, Eternal Limited, saw a decline of Rs 5.60 or 1.96% to Rs 280 during the same period.
Gig and platform workers in India are entitled to formal legal recognition, portable social security benefits, and a national registration framework through e-Shram under the provisions of the Code on Social Security, 2020 of the new labor codes. According to an official statement, under the Social Security code, aggregators must contribute 1–2% of their annual turnover, capped at 5% of payments to gig and platform workers, to a Social Security Fund.
