ABP Live Deep Dive | Is 10-Minute Delivery Unsafe? Zomato CEO Explains What Happens Behind The Scenes
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal explains that 10-minute delivery depends on store location and planning, not rider speed, amid safety concerns raised during recent gig worker strike calls.
ABP Live Deep Dive: The debate around ultra-fast deliveries came back into focus after gig worker unions raised safety concerns during their December 31 strike call. While services on platforms like Zomato and Blinkit continued almost normally on New Year’s Eve, social media discussions questioned whether 10-minute deliveries put extra pressure on riders. Responding to the criticism, Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal explained how the system works and why he believes it does not compromise delivery partner safety.
His comments aimed to clear up what he called common misunderstandings around the model.
How The 10-Minute Delivery Model Works
Explaining the system, Goyal said the speed of delivery comes from planning and infrastructure, not from pushing riders to rush. According to him, the 10-minute promise is possible because stores are located very close to customers’ homes.
One more thing. Our 10 minute delivery promise is enabled by the density of stores around your homes. It’s not enabled by asking delivery partners to drive fast. Delivery partners don’t even have a timer on their app to indicate what was the original time promised to the…
— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) January 1, 2026
He stressed that delivery partners are not shown any delivery countdown or promised time on their app, meaning they are not under pressure to beat a clock.
He explained that once an order is placed on Blinkit, it is picked and packed in about 2.5 minutes. After that, the rider usually travels less than 2 kilometres, taking around 8 minutes at an average speed of about 15 kmph.
Goyal said many people assume fast delivery automatically means unsafe riding, but that ignores the detailed system design working in the background.
He added that the complexity of planning store locations, order processing, and routing is what makes quick delivery possible, not risky behaviour by riders. According to him, the idea that speed equals danger comes from not fully understanding how the model operates.
Delivery Partner Safety & Gig Work Concerns
On safety and welfare, Goyal said all delivery partners are covered by medical and life insurance. Addressing fears about penalties, he clarified that riders are not punished if deliveries are delayed, as the company understands that delays can happen for many reasons.
When asked about long-term career growth, Goyal said gig delivery work is not meant to be permanent employment. He explained that most people take up this work for a few months and later move on to more stable jobs. He shared that the annual attrition rate is around 65%, which shows that this is truly short-term gig work.
Responding to wider criticism of the gig economy, Goyal said many outsiders believe gig workers are exploited, but he disagrees. He encouraged customers to speak directly to delivery partners to understand why many voluntarily choose platform work.
At the same time, he admitted the system is not perfect and can always be improved. His comments came soon after union-led strike calls on December 25 and December 31, which demanded better pay, social security, and safer working conditions.
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