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‘Denied lifts, delivery agents climb 10-14 floors’: What Blinkit rider told Raghav Chadha during lunch
Explaining the ground reality of 10-minute delivery, Himanshu said, “A timer doesn't run, but the customers keep calling asking why we haven't arrived yet"
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has drawn fresh attention to the working conditions of app-based delivery workers after meeting a Blinkit delivery partner whose video on low earnings and long working hours recently went viral.
Chadha had earlier raised similar concerns during the Winter Session of Parliament, flagging low wages, excessive working hours and the lack of social security for millions engaged in platform-based work. Following the session, Chadha invited the delivery partner to his residence for lunch, where the rider shared his experiences in detail.
“I saw your news and the photo showing 28 deliveries for ₹763 in 18 hours. I raised this issue,” Chadha told the rider during their interaction.
The MP was referring to a video shared by the delivery partner, Himanshu, which shows him explaining how he earned just ₹763 after completing 28 deliveries over nearly 15 hours of work.
‘10-minute delivery creates constant pressure’
Himanshu said the pressure of 10-minute deliveries often works against riders rather than helping them earn incentives.
“There is an incentive issue; sometimes when we reach a location, the customer doesn't pick up the call for half an hour, wasting our time and ruining our incentive,” he told the AAP MP.
Chadha assured him that he had raised the same concern in Parliament. “I specifically raised the 10-minute delivery issue and said it should be stopped,” he added.
Explaining the ground reality, Himanshu added, “A timer doesn't run, but the customer keeps calling asking why we haven't arrived yet. Then we hear, ‘Why are you late? Traffic is there for you, but other riders arrive.’”
‘We climb 10–14 floors if lifts are denied’
The rider also spoke about the physical strain delivery workers face inside residential societies.
“If the customer is on the 14th floor and the service lift is off, other society lifts won't let delivery workers in. They say lifts aren't for delivery workers, so they have to climb the stairs. Many riders do this. I've seen riders climb 10–14 floors,” Himanshu said.
He added that delivery partners often feel disrespected and unsafe. “We get no respect; they think we are just laborers. At night, there are accidents—people are murdered, orders are snatched—and the company does nothing,” he said.
Watch video here:
Declining per-delivery payments
Chadha asked about changes in per-delivery earnings, to which Himanshu pointed to a steady decline. “For nearby orders, it used to be ₹17, now it is ₹12–13. For 5 km, it was ₹70–80, but now it’s around ₹60. Riders say they used to make ₹1,000–2,000 in 12–13 hours, but now they can't even cross ₹1,000,” he said.
Talking about the mental duress, Himanshu said, “The rider thinks about completing orders quickly to meet the incentive, leading to accidents. It happened to me many times, like slipping on basement ramps,” he said.
On benefits, he said delivery partners are excluded from basic social security. “No PF; if you deliver, you get money… Companies claim you can earn ₹60,000 a month, but that's only possible if you do 50–60 deliveries every single day,” he said.
Protests over gig workers’ conditions
Similar concerns were raised recently by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU), which observed a nationwide strike on Christmas day, December 25. The strike caused significant service disruptions in parts of Gurugram, while Delhi and Noida saw limited impact.
The disruption followed coordinated log-offs by delivery partners, with around 70–80 workers gathering at the Rodeo Drive Market Complex in Sector 47. Protests were also reported from Baani Square in Sector 50, ILD Tower near Subhash Chowk, Eros City Square in Sector 49 and HUDA Market in Sector 46.
