Zepto CEO Says Dropping ‘10-Minute Delivery’ Branding Was Suggested in Good Faith

The Union labour minister's proposal to remove the "10-minute" delivery guarantee from the branding and advertising campaigns of rapid commerce (qcom) platforms was made in good faith, according to Aadit Palicha, founder and CEO of Zepto. After meeting with Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Palicha posted on social media.

According to him, Zepto hopes to collaborate with the government and support its attempts to advance India. Naturally, the business is not flawless, and the government is always welcome to offer suggestions on how to make it better. "This is what we did recently when Mansukh Ji gave us a good-faith suggestion to remove ‘10 minutes’ from our branding," he stated.

Qcomms Dropping 10 Minutes Idea

Zepto, Swiggy, Instamart, BigBasket, and Blinkit were among the Q-commerce platforms that abandoned the 10-minute delivery guarantee last week. It was carried out following the ministry's intervention due to worries over gig workers' working conditions. Palicha stated that the minister clearly articulated his primary objective of further expanding employment opportunities and economic mobility facilitated by platform-based enterprises.

Zepto has employed over 40,000 store employees, truck drivers, and warehouse operators in addition to over 180,000 delivery partners, according to figures provided by Palicha. Additionally, he mentioned that the corporation pays its employees thousands of crore rupees annually.

On Ground Battle Between Goyal and Gig Workers

Deepinder Goyal, the founder and CEO of Zomato, issued a thorough five-point statement on X to defend the company's gig work model. He described how delivery partners are compensated, why riders are not put under strain by the 10-minute delivery guarantee, and how flexible schedules and welfare benefits make gig employment a stable source of income. Delivery partners made an average of INR 102 per hour (not including gratuities) in 2025, a 10.9% rise from INR 92 in 2024.

Gross profits for individuals who work longer hours, such as 10 hours a day, 26 days a month, could be approximately INR 26,500, or INR 21,000 after maintenance and gasoline expenses. Additionally, partners retain all consumer tips, with an average hourly rate of INR 2.6 in 2025. However, The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Association (TGPWA), vehemently disputed these assertions, stating that many riders' realities varied significantly. When fuel and maintenance expenses are taken into account, net earnings come to about INR 81 per hour, or about INR 21,000 per month for someone working 10 hours a day for 26 days, according to the union's post on X.

The union called the current situation "not decent work", pointing out that delivery partners are not given accident insurance, social security coverage, or paid leave. About 5% of orders on Zomato are tipped, according to the union, which raises doubts about the size of the additional revenue Goyal indicated.