The human cost behind every delivery

There was a timer counting down in the mind of M. Tejeswar as he negotiated the turns and traffic on BRTS Road at Kancharapalem in Visakhapatnam late at night. The 25-year-old had been a food delivery worker for several months and knew that even a slight delay can get him a poor rating from the customer, which then affected his earnings. Moreover, he had received multiple orders that night and wanted to make most of the opportunity.

In his hurry, however, Tejeswar didn’t notice the road divider up ahead and hit it head on. He was thrown of his two-wheeler in the violent impact and pain exploded in his leg. It was a major fracture, which forced him to stay off work for almost three months, without pay. But he considers himself lucky: In his profession getting killed in an accident while hurrying to deliver an order is commonplace.

During breaks and in between orders, it is fatal accidents, broken bones and narrow escapes that figure in the discussion of delivery workers. The recent incident of a food delivery worker falling from a moving train while attempting to deliver an order in Anantapur had sparked national debate on the safety of gig workers.

Tejeswar is one of the 17,000 active gig workers in Visakhapatnam, delivering food, grocery, medicines and parcels at doorstep and providing services like bike taxi. It is not just youth who take up the job, many elderly individuals, too, turn to gig work for supplementary or primary source of income. While landing a job in the field is relatively easy, staying on isn’t. A lack of job security, inadequate incentives, low wages, physical strain and mistreatment at work among others force many to leave abruptly.

Obsession with quick delivery

With multiple quick-commerce companies locked in an intense competition, fast delivery has become the ultimate deciding factor. Though the Union government on January 13 urged quick commerce and food delivery platforms to drop the concept of 10-minute deliveries, the idea continues to remain dominant. Workers say that companies continue to push for faster deliveries, and customers expect their orders to arrive as quickly as possible. This obsession with speed has proved costly for many delivery personnel.

“Even if the delay is marginal, people immediately contact the customer care, which in turn alerts us. Sometimes orders need to be delivered along Jadagamba Junction and NAD Junction [a traffic-heavy stretch], and we have to navigate the heavy traffic to make the delivery. However, customers still give us negative reviews, complaining that the food was delivered late,” says Tejeswar, adding that although the 10-minute delivery concept has officially been dropped by his company, customers continue to expect the same speed. Delayed deliveries frequently result in negative feedback and one-star ratings, which directly affect the worker’s earnings and performance scores.

He recalls how many of his friends quit the job owing to the constant exposure to pollution and physical strain. “We inhale a lot of dust every day, and the continuous exposure to sun and pollution damages our skin. In almost every case, we make door delivery, even if the customer lives on the tenth floor. At the end of the day, we suffer severe headache and body pains,” he says.

Low payment

Some delivery personnel say rising number of gig workers itself has become a major issue. As the number of delivery personnel increases, incentives decrease. This is because earnings are dependent on the number of orders completed and the distance covered.

“If we cover a distance of 7-8 km to deliver an order, we receive an incentive of around ₹60 to ₹70. However, deliveries within a radius of 1-2 km fetches only less than ₹20. In our company, if we manage to earn ₹500, an additional incentive of ₹120 is credited, but earning ₹500 in a day in Visakhapatnam is extremely difficult because there are too many gig workers.” He adds that expenses for fuel, food, water, other personal necessities as well as vehicle repairs come from their own pocket.

K. Shankar, a delivery personnel who has previously worked with two different companies, claims that irrespective of whether orders are received or not, gig workers are required to stay logged in for 12-16 hours a day.

Mistreatment at work 

In March 2025, a food delivery worker in the city was allegedly assaulted and humiliated by a customer. The incident sparked outrage and led to largescale protests by gig workers, forcing the police to take legal action against the customer. All India Gig Workers Association Visakhapatnam district president B. Jagan, however, says this was the only incident to have come to light. “There are a number of cases yet to come out. Three attacks took place at Dondaparthy alone,” he alleges.

“In most cases, whenever an untoward incident or an accident occurs, the companies don’t pay for the treatment or provide ex gratia. In 2025, a 42-year-old food delivery worker died in an accident, and about 12 others were injured,” Jagan recalls. He says that there are about 17,000 active gig workers in the city alone, while there are about 40,000 registered members.

A booming field

Gig economy is booming across the country. Government think tank Niti Aayog, in its 2022 report titled ‘India’s booming gig and platform economy’, says that gig workforce is expected to expand to 2.35 crore workers by 2029-30. For ​some, the work serves as a part-time source of income while for others, it is their only full-time occupation.

Twenty-two-year-old ITI graduate B. Venkata Ramana is one of them. He has been working as a grocery delivery worker for the past six months, earning around ₹12,000 to ₹15,000 a month. On average, he delivers about 15-20 orders a day. “Though the pay is not sufficient, it helps,” says Ramana, adding that he regularly attends employment melas organised by the government and explores other opportunities.

“My parents are labourers, and my sister is studying in Class VII, so I don’t have the luxury of waiting for the perfect job. Until I find something better, I have to take up work like this,” he says, pointing out that many young people in similar situation have turned to gig work for survival.

Fluctuating wages

Jagan says that no one knows how much does a delivery worker earns per km of delivery. “Sometimes its Rs. 70 per 10 km, sometimes Rs. 80 and sometimes Rs. 100. There is no fixed amount,” he says, adding that they have been pushing for minimum wage to gig workers for a long time. 

“Earlier, a rider used to get ₹600 to ₹800 as minimum wage for being present in working hours. Now, even if they log the stipulated time of 8-12 hours, there is no minimum wage guarantee.” 

Jagan also mentioned how some companies discourage protest. “If a worker questions the company, their ID get blocked, which is released only after repeated requests. However, the number of orders decline following this, he alleges. Once the ID is blocked, a worker can’t login to work and receive orders.

He says the Visakhapatnam branch of the association has been staging protests for the past few years to secure minimum wage for gig workers, but to no avail.

It is high time, says Srinivas, that the government forms a body to protect their rights. “Steps should be taken for our welfare and safety. It must ensure proper compensation to the deceased or injured,” he adds.