Govt orders delivery deadlines dialed down

After an intervention by Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, major delivery aggregators have agreed to remove the 10-minute delivery service deadline following the Government’s intervention.

Blinkit has hence removed its popular “10-minute delivery” promise across platforms amid rising concerns over the welfare and safety of gig workers while Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy are expected to follow suit.

Sources said the decision came after Mandaviya held discussions with senior officials of quick-commerce and food delivery platforms, including Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy and Zomato. During the meeting, the minister advised companies to do away with strict delivery time commitments in the interest of delivery partners’ safety.

The move is aimed at reducing time pressure on delivery workers and ensuring greater safety, security and improved working conditions for gig workers, who often operate in challenging weather and traffic conditions.Blinkit has revised the tag-line from “10,000+ products delivered in 10 minutes” to “30,000+ products delivered at your doorstep”.

The promise of 10-minute delivery led to gig workers holding a nationwide strike on New Year’s Eve in 2025, drawing attention to workers’ health, safety and income.

Welcoming the move, the Gig Workers Association said the decision by quick commerce platforms to roll back the 10-minute delivery promise, saying the move recognises that extreme delivery timelines put unsafe pressure on delivery workers.

In a statement, the association said the ten-minute delivery model forced workers to rush, take risks on the road and work long hours due to constant pressure created by incentives, ratings and order allocation on apps.

“However, workers are often paid the same amount for a multi-order delivery as for a single order. In one such case, a worker was paid only Rs 19.30 for delivering two orders together. This increases risk and workload without any additional compensation,” it said.      

The association further said that the creation of a permanent institutional mechanism for collective dialogue between workers, platforms, and the Government is a necessity. Adding that such a mechanism is necessary to address concerns in advance, ensure worker safety and dignity, and prevent conflicts from escalating.The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) welcomed the Central Government’s decision to impose a ban on the 10-minute delivery service offered by quick commerce platforms. CAIT described the decision, as timely, humane, and far-sighted, prioritising the life and safety of delivery personnel.

CAIT clarified that this is not a recent issue; rather, the organisation has been consistently alerting the Government and the nation for a long time about the dangerous and unregulated model of quick commerce. CAIT’s National Secretary General and Member of Parliament Praveen Khandelwal, had raised this serious issue in Parliament.