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In order to minimize service interruptions on New Year’s Eve amid a strike call by gig workers’ unions, food delivery services Zomato and Swiggy are increasing their incentives to their delivery partners, as is customary during holidays.

According to the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and Telangana Gig and Platform Workers’ Union (TGPWU), thousands of workers are expected to join the statewide protest in order to demand better pay and working conditions.

Industry sources claim that on New Year’s Eve, when demand is at an all-time high, the strike may have an impact on the operations of food delivery and rapid commerce companies like Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto.

On New Year’s Eve, during peak hours between 6 p.m. and 12 a.m., Zomato has offered delivery partners compensation of Rs. 120 to Rs. 150 each order. According to persons with knowledge of the development, the platform has also offered rewards of up to Rs 3,000 throughout the day, depending on order volumes and worker availability.Additionally, Zomato has temporarily eliminated penalties for order denials and cancellations. However, they emphasized that this was a routine operating procedure that was followed during moments of high demand, such as the holidays and year-end.

Zomato and Blinkit are owned by Eternal. According to those who are aware of the move, Swiggy has also upped incentives around year-end, offering delivery personnel wages of up to Rs 10,000 between December 31 and January 1.

In an effort to guarantee sufficient rider availability during one of the busiest ordering windows of the year, the platform is advertising peak-hour earnings of up to Rs 2,000 for the six-hour period between 6 pm and 12 am on New Year’s Eve. They maintained that increased payouts were a standard practice during such periods.

In a joint statement, TGPWU and IFAT said, “As of last night, over 1.7 lakh delivery and app-based workers across India have confirmed participation, with numbers expected to rise further by evening”.

On the other hand, people in the know said that following the massive December 25 strike, which saw thousands of delivery workers log off platforms across Telangana and other regions, gig workers have announced an escalated nationwide strike on December 31, 2025, said the joint statement of TGPWU and IFAT.

“The December 25 action sent a clear warning to platform companies about falling earnings, unsafe delivery pressure, and loss of dignity at work.

Giving a call to action, Union said, “All gig workers, platform workers, digital platform workers, app-based workers, and online freelancers are earnestly requested to participate in the national strike by shutting down all work-related applications and abstaining from providing services on December 31, 2025, thereby making the strike united and effective”.