Zomato’s founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal, disclosed that the company dismisses nearly 5,000 gig workers monthly due to fraud cases, while an additional 150,000 to 200,000 workers voluntarily leave the fast food delivery platform. Goyal mentioned in a video podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani that many workers view gig work as a temporary arrangement.
During New Year’s Eve, gig workers from various platforms, including Zomato, staged a sudden strike to advocate for higher pay, improved working conditions, and enhanced security coverage. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has introduced draft rules for the four labor codes, encompassing gig workers to receive benefits like minimum wage, health provisions, and social security coverage.
The government has requested input from stakeholders on these draft regulations and plans to implement the complete set of four labor codes nationwide starting April 1. As per the draft rules, gig or platform workers must be affiliated with an aggregator for at least 90 days annually to qualify for social security benefits provided by the government. If a worker collaborates with multiple aggregators, the minimum requirement increases to 120 days.
Issued on December 30, 2025, the notification preceded a flash strike by gig and platform workers demanding increased wages and better working conditions. The rules define a worker as “engaged” on any day they earn income from an aggregator, regardless of the amount earned. Moreover, if a worker partners with multiple aggregators, the total engagement days are combined across all platforms. The draft also specifies that if a worker is associated with three aggregators on the same day, it counts as three separate engagement days.
