Even as India’s online delivery app businesses are booming, the bleak situation of the sector’s “delivery partners” – i.e. the gig workers of the online delivery platforms – is going largely ignored by India’s corporate-friendly government.

On December 31, delivery app Blinkit’s CEO Albinder Dhindsa cited the company’s sales data that day to describe it as the company’s “highest ever orders day.” In a series of posts on X, he went on to detail the “biggest party order,” the most popular items ordered, etc. on the app.

Responding to these celebratory tweets, standup comedian, Kunal Kamra, who is known for his political satire and social activism, questioned Dhindsa about the “wages” of Blinkit delivery workers. “Can you also enlighten us with data on the average wages you paid your ‘Delivery Partners’ in 2024 …” he wrote on X.

With no reply forthcoming from the Blinkit CEO, Kamra reminded people of the “dark side” of the delivery app business. While “enjoying the convenience of quick commerce,” platform owners exploit gig workers. “They aren’t creating jobs,” he pointed out, decrying online delivery platforms as “landlords without owning any land.”

The issues Kamra has raised are not new. The gig economy is notorious for its lack of transparency and the low earnings and long working hours of its “delivery partners.” It is accused of exploiting the desperation of India’s ocean of........

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