Zomato, Blinkit saw record deliveries on New Year’s Eve despite strike calls: Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal

Zomato, Blinkit saw record deliveries on New Year’s Eve despite strike calls: Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal

Eternal co-founder and chief executive officer Deepinder Goyal on January 1 said food delivery platform Zomato and quick commerce arm Blinkit clocked record delivery volumes on New Year’s Eve, claiming operations were unaffected by recent calls for strikes by delivery workers.

In a post on X, Goyal said more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners across the two platforms completed over 75 lakh orders — an all-time high — delivering to over 63 lakh customers on December 31. He added that this was achieved without any incremental incentives beyond what is typically offered on New Year’s Eve.

“Zomato and Blinkit delivered at a record pace yesterday, unaffected by calls for strikes that many of us heard over the past few days,” Goyal wrote, crediting support from local law enforcement and coordination by on-ground teams.

What was the background to the delivery worker strikes?

Goyal’s comments come against the backdrop of nationwide strike calls by gig and platform delivery workers on December 25 and December 31, led by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers.

While platforms said the December 25 action caused only brief, localised disruptions, worker unions claimed wider participation. According to unions, around 40,000 delivery workers participated in the December 25 protest, while about 1.7 lakh workers took part in the nationwide strike on December 31, alleging delays across several cities.

In the run-up to New Year’s Eve, food delivery platforms had also announced higher peak-hour incentives to ensure rider availability. Goyal, however, said payouts on December 31 were consistent with previous New Year’s Eve patterns and not linked to the strike.

Did Swiggy also see strong New Year’s Eve demand?

Rival platform Swiggy also flagged strong New Year’s Eve demand despite the strike calls. Swiggy co-founder Phani Kishan shared multiple posts on X highlighting sharp, category-wise spikes on the company’s quick commerce platform.

According to Kishan, grape sales jumped 15x on December 31, with the platform logging around 2.35 lakh searches for grapes, starting as early as 5 am. Demand accelerated through the evening as last-minute purchases picked up.

What products saw the biggest sales spikes on Swiggy?

Kishan said cake sales rose 7x, BBQ-related items increased 6x, beverages climbed 3.5x, party glasses 2.5x, calendars and planners 1.5x, and pizza bases 1.8x compared with regular days. Snacks, mixers and party essentials featured prominently in late-evening orders.

He also highlighted the largest single order of the night — two iPhones worth around Rs 1.8 lakh, underscoring the breadth of items being purchased via quick commerce during peak demand.

Beyond metros, Swiggy saw strong demand from tier-2 and tier-3 towns such as Lonavala, Karimnagar, Saharanpur, Davanagere, Patiala and Meerut, according to Kishan.

How did Goyal respond to criticism around the strike?

In his post, Goyal pushed back against the narrative advanced by worker unions, arguing that the scale and consistency of participation in the gig economy contradict claims of systemic unfairness.

“If a system were fundamentally unfair, it would not consistently attract and retain so many people who choose to work within it,” he wrote, cautioning against what he described as “narratives pushed by vested interests”.

He described the gig economy as one of India’s largest organised job-creation engines, saying its long-term impact would compound as delivery partners’ families benefit from stable incomes and education.