New Delhi, December 27, 2025: A recent viral video showing a Blinkit delivery partner sharing his work struggles has sparked a nationwide conversation around the working conditions of gig workers in India. In the video, the delivery rider revealed that after completing 28 deliveries over nearly 15 hours, his total earnings amounted to just ₹763, raising serious questions about pay, workload, and dignity of labour in the gig economy.
Taking note of the video, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha stepped in. During the Winter Session of Parliament, Chadha had already flagged concerns related to low wages, excessively long working hours, and the lack of social security for gig and platform workers. Reacting to the delivery partner’s story, he publicly expressed support and reiterated the need for urgent reforms to protect the rights and well-being of gig workers.
The issue has gained further urgency amid ongoing protests by gig workers across multiple cities. Delivery partners went on a mass strike on December 25, 2025, and have announced another strike for New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2025. The strike, called by the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFATW), coincided with the peak year-end delivery season. Workers have repeatedly highlighted problems such as algorithm-based targets, sudden payout changes, arbitrary penalties, and the absence of a proper grievance redressal system.
Following the conclusion of Parliament’s winter session, Chadha invited the Blinkit delivery partner to his residence for lunch earlier this week. The meeting was informal and warm. Over lunch, the rider spoke openly about his day-to-day reality—long hours, unpredictable earnings, pressure from app algorithms, and lack of basic safeguards.
After the lunch meeting Raghav Chadha posted on X:
“I invited Himanshu, a Blinkit delivery boy, over for lunch.
Through his social media post, he had recently shared the harsh realities and miseries faced by riders/delivery boys. We spoke at length about the high risks, long hours, low pay, and no safety net. These voices deserve to be heard in Parliament and beyond.”
The delivery partner expressed happiness at being heard, calling the interaction respectful and reassuring. Chadha, in turn, reaffirmed that he would continue to raise these concerns at the policy level, emphasising that India’s gig economy cannot grow sustainably if workers’ dignity and welfare are ignored.
