Quick commerce and delivery platforms have become the lifeline of urban consumers. The delivery rider, zipping through chaotic traffic, is now a ubiquitous symbol of urban convenience. However, a troubling paradox defines this sector: the very speed with which workers take up gig work is matched by the rate at which they abandon it.
Beneath the glossy facade of the sector’s “flexibility” and “earning potential” is the reality of financial instability, physical risk and systemic neglect that pushes a vast majority of riders to exit in a matter of months.
The strikes by riders across India during Christmas and New Year protesting against unrealistic promises of 10-minute delivery and slashed payments highlight the growing collective frustration.
In response, Deepinder Goyal, the founder of Zomato’s parent company, claimed that gig work is “one of the largest organised job creation engines in India” and that this work allows riders to build a better future, secure jobs in the formal sector and educate their children.
It would “bring more people into the fold, who will be able to earn some money, upskill themselves and later join India’s organised workforce”, he declared pointing to the high churn rate in the sector as evidence of this.
The high churn rate is certainly true. Over half...
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