New Delhi: Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has warned that politicising the gig economy could cripple quick commerce, destroy jobs, and force workers back into the informal sector amid the ongoing debate over gig worker rights.
In a post on X, former G20 Sherpa Kant said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha and his party are “not job creators but job killers”.
“Gig jobs are set to grow from 7.7 million to 23.5 million by 2030 — among India’s largest job-creation engines. Calling this ‘exploitation’ by folks who have not created a single job is political, not factual,” Kant posted.
On December 31 alone, Zomato and Blinkit delivered more than 75 lakh orders. That demand came from millions of Indians choosing speed, convenience and value, he said.
“Politicising the gig economy will kill quick commerce, destroy jobs & push workers back into the informal sector (zero rights, zero safety). @raghav_chadha and AAP are not job creators; they are job killers,” Kant stressed.
According to him, let markets work, strengthen safety nets and “don’t sabotage innovation for political ends”.
Chadha said on Friday that “It’s tragic that millions of delivery riders who helped build instant-commerce companies into what they are today, are now forced to protest just to be heard”. He noted that the quick delivery platforms succeeded with the sweat and labour of the delivery riders and thus must be treated as human beings.
Earlier, speaking to IANS, Chadha highlighted concerns over low and unpredictable pay, long working hours, lack of social security and absence of dignity at work.
However, according to Eternal Founder Deepinder Goyal, in 2025, average earnings per hour (EPH), excluding tips, for a delivery partner on Zomato were Rs 102.
“In 2024, this number was Rs 92. That’s a 10.9 per cent year-on-year increase. Over a longer horizon also, EPH has shown steady growth. Most delivery partners work for a few hours and only a few days in a month. But if someone were to work for 10 hours/day, 26 days/month, this translates to Rs 26,500/month in gross earnings. After accounting for fuel and maintenance (20 per cent), the net earnings for the partner are Rs 21,000/month,” he explained.
On top of this, delivery partners earn 100 per cent of tips given by customers.
“The average tip per hour in 2025 on Zomato was Rs 2.6 and in 2024 was Rs 2.4 per hour. Tips are transferred instantly, with zero deductions. We absorb the payment gateway processing cost ourselves. About 5 per cent of the orders get tipped on Zomato; 2.5 per cent on Blinkit,” Goyal posted on X.
In 2025, the average delivery partner on Zomato worked 38 days in the year and 7 hours per working day, reflecting true gig style participation rather than fixed schedules, he added.
More Economy News on www.mediaeyenews.com
Caption: Former CEO of the NITI Aayog and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant during a panel discussion on ‘Solving the Energy Trilemma: Access, Affordability, Availability’ at the Raisina Dialogue 2024, in New Delhi on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Photo: IANS/@raisinadialogue)
—IANS
