Reports suggest that Zomato fires 5,000 delivery workers every month, highlighting the harsh realities of India’s gig economy. The numbers point to high churn among delivery partners, driven by performance metrics, customer ratings, and operational efficiency targets.
While companies describe this as “natural attrition,” critics argue it reflects the fragile job security faced by gig workers.
Why Zomato Fires 5,000 Delivery Workers Every Month
The reason Zomato fires 5,000 delivery workers every month is linked to how gig platforms operate.
Key factors include:
- Failure to meet delivery time targets
- Low customer ratings
- Inconsistent availability or acceptance rates
- Policy violations and inactivity
Delivery partners are onboarded quickly, but those who fail to meet benchmarks are equally quickly removed from the platform.
Gig Model Depends on Constant Churn
For Zomato, the delivery workforce is not classified as permanent employees. Instead, riders are treated as independent partners.
This model allows:
- Flexible scaling during peak demand
- Lower fixed costs
- Rapid onboarding and offboarding
However, it also means thousands can lose access to income every month without traditional labor protections.
How Many Delivery Partners Does Zomato Have?
Zomato works with hundreds of thousands of delivery partners across India. In such a large system, monthly exits run into thousands.
Industry experts say:
- High churn is common across gig platforms
- Many workers leave voluntarily due to low earnings
- Others are removed due to algorithm-driven evaluations
This explains how Zomato fires 5,000 delivery workers every month, even as new riders continue to join.
Impact on Delivery Workers
For delivery partners, frequent removals create uncertainty.
Key concerns include:
- Unstable monthly income
- Lack of job security
- No formal grievance mechanism
- Dependence on algorithms for work allocation
Worker groups argue that clearer rules and better transparency are urgently needed.
Zomato’s Stand on Workforce Attrition
Zomato has repeatedly stated that delivery partners are free to choose working hours and that offboarding happens only when platform guidelines are not followed.
The company maintains that:
- Attrition is part of the gig model
- Performance standards ensure service quality
- New earning opportunities are regularly created
Still, the scale at which Zomato fires 5,000 delivery workers every month continues to draw attention.
Regulatory and Policy Questions
The issue has also caught the attention of policymakers. Governments are debating:
- Social security benefits for gig workers
- Minimum earnings guarantees
- Clearer classification of platform workers
Any regulatory change could significantly impact food delivery platforms.
What This Means for the Gig Economy
The fact that Zomato fires 5,000 delivery workers every month underlines a bigger issue: growth in app-based jobs does not always mean stability.
As platforms expand, balancing profitability with worker welfare will remain a key challenge.
Conclusion
The claim that Zomato fires 5,000 delivery workers every month shines a spotlight on the darker side of India’s booming gig economy. While food delivery apps offer flexible income opportunities, the lack of long-term security continues to worry workers, regulators, and labor experts alike.
