New Delhi: Under sustained pressure from the central government, leading delivery platforms have rolled back their controversial promise of delivering goods within 10 minutes, citing concerns over the physical and mental strain on delivery workers.
Union labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a key meeting with representatives of platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy, where he raised concerns over the intense pressure placed on delivery partners due to ultra-fast timelines.
Blinkit has already acted by removing the phrase “10 minutes” from its branding and changing its tagline to “Over 30,000 products at your doorstep”. Similar steps by other companies are expected in the coming days to make working conditions more humane for delivery workers.
The issue had gained significant momentum in Parliament after Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha raised the matter, drawing attention to the mental and physical stress faced by gig workers. To underline his concerns, Chadha also spent a full day working as a delivery partner, directly experiencing the pressures of tight deadlines, traffic and harsh weather conditions.
Chadha demanded assured social security, safer working conditions and dignified wages for gig and platform workers. His intervention helped bring national focus to the issue, which has since translated into policy-level discussions and corrective steps by delivery companies.
Notably, under the Social Security Code, 2020, which came into force on November 21, 2025, the framework to extend benefits such as life insurance, health cover and accident insurance to gig and platform workers has been activated, a move expected to benefit lakhs of delivery workers across the country.
