Big relief for gig workers: Blinkit, Swiggy and other commerce companies to drop 10-minute delivery after govt steps in
PTC News Desk: Blinkit has quietly withdrawn its “10-minute delivery” branding after government intervention and mounting concerns over gig worker safety. By Tuesday afternoon, the label had disappeared from the app’s interface, signalling a subtle shift in the company’s public messaging.
The decision follows widespread protests by delivery workers across multiple platforms in late December, during which they highlighted issues such as high-pressure delivery timelines, unsafe working conditions, and the absence of social security. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s involvement has been a major factor in prompting platforms to reconsider strict delivery-time commitments. The government has been holding discussions with food delivery and quick-commerce companies after unions warned that such timelines could endanger workers.
Blinkit will now eliminate references to “10-minute delivery” from all promotional material, including advertisements, marketing campaigns, and social media posts.
This move does not necessarily indicate that deliveries will slow down. Instead, companies are expected to shift away from public promises of fixed delivery times to avoid messaging that could be interpreted as encouraging risky behaviour on the road.
According to sources, Mandaviya met with representatives from Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy, and Zomato as part of the discussions. During these meetings, he asked platforms to stop using fixed-time delivery guarantees in their branding and marketing.
The concern raised was that even if companies rely on warehouse proximity and efficient systems, such guarantees could still increase pressure on delivery workers. All platforms assured the government that they would remove delivery-time commitments from their advertisements and social media communication.
- With inputs from agencies
