On Union Labour Ministry’s intervention, quick commerce platforms to stop 10-minute delivery practice

After an intervention by Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, delivery platforms Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy are learnt to have decided to remove the 10-minute delivery system from their applications.

Gig and platform workers had held a one-day strike on December 31 and one of their demands was to end the delivery of items in 10 minutes, citing accidents and health issues. The Ministry sources told The Hindu that Blinkit has removed the 10-minute delivery promise from its branding and others are expected to follow suit in the coming days.

A senior official said Mr. Mandaviya held a meeting with the aggregators last week and asked them about the promise of 10-minute delivery. “They told the Minister that it is being made possible through warehouses at various locations and not by putting pressure on workers. Their argument was that they have a large number of warehouses that can ensure quick delivery to consumers. However, Minister urged them to to stop this branding practice considering the health and welfare of delivery workers and the companies agreed,” the official said.

The government source added that the move is aimed at ensuring greater safety, security and improved working conditions for gig workers. Accordingly, Blinkit has informed the Ministry that the company’s principal tagline has been revised from “10,000+ products delivered in 10 minutes” to “30,000+ products delivered at your doorstep.”

The gig workers, in their memorandum to Mr. Mandaviya, had requested his intervention to urgently discontinue the 10-20 minute service delivery mandate to prioritise workers’ safety. The workers’ unions have been arguing that the practice put tremendous pressure on the delivery workers and had also sought the Minister’s help for regulating the platforms and their work practices.

General secretary of Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers Shaik Salauddin welcomed the intervention of the government and the subsequent decision of the platforms and said it was a significant and much-needed step in protecting the lives and dignity of gig and platform workers.

“The 10-minute delivery model forced delivery partners into dangerous road behaviour, extreme stress, and unsafe working conditions. We welcome and thank Mr. Mandaviya for listening to workers’ voices and intervening decisively in the interest of their safety,” he said and added that the Minister’s intervention is a victory for all gig and platform workers, especially in the context of the nationwide flash strike and protests held from December 25–31, highlighting unsafe work practices imposed by platforms.

He said workers’ safety must take precedence over profit-driven delivery timelines, and urged all platform companies to engage in meaningful dialogue with workers’ unions while formulating policies that directly impact workers’ lives.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha, who had voiced the problems faced by gig workers in Parliament last month, posted on his X handle: “Satyamev Jayate. Together, we have won…”

“I am deeply grateful to the Central Government for its timely, decisive and compassionate intervention in enforcing the removal of the “10-minute delivery” branding from quick-commerce platforms. This is a much needed step because when “10 minutes” is printed on a rider’s tshirt/ jacket/ bag and a timer runs on the customer’s screen, the pressure is real, constant, and dangerous. This step will help ensure safety of the delivery riders, and everyone who shares our roads,” he further said.

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said, “I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government for stopping 10-minute deliveries in quick commerce. This decision will protect delivery workers from mental and physical stress.”

He added that this decision will have a long-term impact and improve the safety and health of the workforce.