Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reportedly told platforms that promoting near-instant deliveries places undue pressure on delivery drivers and creates dangerous working conditions.
Published Jan 13, 2026 | 5:31 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 13, 2026 | 5:45 PM
Gig workers. (Representational/ iStock)
Synopsis: The Union Government has reportedly urged quick commerce and food delivery platforms to stop promoting “10-minute” delivery, amid growing concerns about gig workers’ safety and working conditions. Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has reportedly told companies such as Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy that such messaging places undue pressure on delivery workers.
Quick commerce and food delivery platforms have been told to drop the controversial “10-minute delivery” campaigns by the Union Government following widespread concerns over workers’ safety and worsening working conditions, The Hindu reported.
The move follows several meetings held by Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who reportedly asked platforms including Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy to stop promoting near-instant delivery, telling them it places undue pressure on delivery drivers and creates dangerous working conditions.
“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,” an unnamed official quoted by The Hindu said.
“However, the Minister urged them to stop this branding practice considering the health and welfare of delivery workers, and the companies agreed.”
At least one platform is said to have already acted on the suggestion, removing the promised 10-minute delivery messaging from its marketing.
Last year, Karnataka became the first State to pass dedicated legislation aimed at securing gig workers’ welfare, while other States such as Kerala are considering similar Bills.
Even so, delivery drivers, estimated to number over 17 lakh across the country, have long protested against exploitative and unsafe working conditions, demanding better pay and treatment.
On New Year’s Eve last year, more than 200,000 delivery drivers refused to take on orders in protest, Bloomberg News reported.
Among their key demands was the removal of the option for deliveries within 10 minutes, which unions representing gig workers have consistently said forces them to take dangerous risks and flout traffic laws to meet deadlines. Combined with India’s poor roads, this has often proved fatal.
The Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWE) said the move was “an important step towards ensuring the safety, health, and dignity of gig and platform workers.”
“The Gig & Platform Service Workers Union submitted a demand letter to the Labour Minister, Shri Mansukh Mandviya, Government of India, on 24 December 2025. It also filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission on 12 January 2026, with the same prayers,” the Union said in a statement.
“Time-bound targets and algorithm-driven pressures remain widespread across the gig economy, creating conditions that can closely resemble forced labour. To achieve India’s national goal of eradicating forced labour by 2030, these practices must be addressed comprehensively.”
The union also called on platforms to adopt “worker-centred systems” that prioritise wellbeing, safety, and dignity.
“Collectively, we can build a gig economy that is fair, safe, and sustainable for everyone. This is a victory for all gig and platform service workers and their unions,” the statement added.
Rajya Sabha MP and Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha welcomed the reported intervention by the Union Government, terming it a much-needed step.
“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,” he wrote in a post on X.
“Over the past months, I have spoken to hundreds of delivery partners. Many are overworked, underpaid and risking their lives to fulfil an unrealistic promise.”
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…
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) January 13, 2026
BJP MP for Chandni Chowk Praveen Khandelwal said the decision would help workers “from mental and physical stress”.
“In April 2025, the Confederation of All India Traders raised this issue at its national conference, ‘The Cruel Face of Quick Commerce’, calling for regulation of quick-commerce delivery work,” he told PTI.
“We questioned the need for 10-minute deliveries when local shops are available and such speed is required only in emergencies. This will have a long-term impact and improve the morale, safety and health of the workforce.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
