Swiggy, Blinkit drop 10-minute delivery after Indian govt flags rider safety

Dubai: Major food delivery and quick-commerce platforms have begun removing rigid “10-minute delivery” promises from their branding and promotional material after Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya intervened, stressing that the safety of delivery partners must come before speed.

According to government sources cited by IANS, Mandaviya held discussions in New Delhi with executives of leading aggregators, including Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy and Zomato, amid growing concerns that aggressive delivery timelines were endangering riders on congested urban roads.

Following the meeting, platforms assured the government that they would do away with strict time-based delivery commitments across advertisements and social media. Blinkit has already removed its “10-minute delivery” claim, revising its principal tagline from “10,000 plus products delivered in 10 minutes” to “30,000 plus products delivered at your doorstep,” sources told IANS.

The 10-minute delivery promise has been the subject of intense public debate, with labour unions and activists arguing that it creates relentless pressure on delivery partners to speed, take risks and ignore traffic rules to meet app-driven deadlines.

What changed and why it matters

• What the Centre asked platforms to do

• Remove rigid “10-minute delivery” promises

• Drop time-based delivery branding from ads and social media

• Prioritise rider safety over speed

• What platforms have done so far

• Blinkit removed its “10-minute delivery” tagline (IANS)

• Other aggregators assured compliance following the minister’s meeting

• Why it matters

• Ultra-fast delivery targets increase road risk for riders

• Gig worker unions demanded the end of arbitrary deadlines

• Labour codes aim to extend safety, wage and social security protections

• What’s next

• Full rollout of four labour codes from April 1

• Greater scrutiny of gig-economy working conditions

Mandaviya advised companies to prioritise occupational safety and remove delivery deadlines that could incentivise dangerous behaviour. The move is being seen as a significant step towards improving working conditions for gig workers, who often face tight timelines, low margins and little job security.

The intervention follows weeks of protests and mobilisation by gig worker unions, which on December 25 held demonstrations demanding better pay, social security benefits and the scrapping of arbitrary time-based delivery targets.

The unions had also warned of a nationwide strike on December 31 if their demands were not addressed.

In response to the protest call, platforms including Swiggy and Zomato announced hikes in delivery incentives. However, union leaders cautioned that incentives alone do not address the structural pressure created by ultra-fast delivery promises.

Draft rules

The government’s move comes as India prepares to roll out the four labour codes, including the Code on Social Security, 2020, which explicitly recognises gig and platform workers. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Labour and Employment published draft rules aimed at extending benefits such as minimum wage, health cover, occupational safety and social security to gig workers. The Centre plans to implement the full package of labour codes from April 1, according to official statements.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who has been vocal on gig workers’ issues inside and outside Parliament, welcomed the Centre’s intervention. Quoted by ANI, Chadha said the removal of the 10-minute branding was a “much-needed step” to protect delivery partners.

“Satyamev Jayate. Together, we have won,” Chadha said in a post on X.

“When ‘10 minutes’ is printed on a rider’s t-shirt, jacket or bag and a timer runs on the customer’s screen, the pressure is real, constant and dangerous. This step will help ensure the safety of delivery riders and everyone who shares our roads.”

Chadha said he had spoken to hundreds of delivery partners over recent months, many of whom described being overworked, underpaid and forced to take risks to meet unrealistic promises. He thanked citizens who supported the campaign, saying they stood “on the side of human life, safety and dignity.”

Earlier this week, Chadha also shared a video showing him spending a day as a delivery partner in Delhi to experience gig workers’ conditions firsthand, riding pillion through traffic and delivering parcels. He said the exercise highlighted the gap between boardroom decisions and realities on the road.

The issue of gig workers’ safety has drawn growing attention amid India’s rapid expansion of quick-commerce services, which promise ever-faster deliveries in major cities. With the Centre now stepping in, industry watchers say the focus may shift from speed-driven marketing to sustainability, compliance and worker protection.