Zomato delivery boy eats food meant for customer! But here's the twist!

A Delhi-based social activist, Kiran Verma, shared a heartfelt post on LinkedIn about his encounter with a Zomato delivery agent, which has since gone  viral. While parking his car in Noida, Verma noticed a delivery agent eating on his bike. Initially, Verma assumed that the delivery rider, referred to as Vishal (name changed), was eating food meant for a customer. However, after speaking with Vishal, Verma learned the story behind it. 

Also Read: 9 crore biryanis, 5.84 crore pizzas, 77.76 lakh cups of tea served: Zomato’s 2024 Year-End Food Report

Vishal explained that he had picked up an order around 2PM but found no one  at the delivery location. Zomato reportedly instructed him to mark the order as “delivered” to reduce further delivery attempts and reduce operational costs. Once marked as delivered, the food was then deemed  his to keep. Vishal admitted that while it may sound unethical, this practice helped delivery workers save money on food and reduce waste. 

Vishal shared that he rarely eats the food due to his dedication to making more deliveries during the Holi festival to earn additional incentives. Despite earning only Rs10,000-25,000 per month, Vishal’s family depends on his income, making food like this essential for his survival. Verma offered financial help, but Vishal declined, saying he could work harder but never beg. Verma then invited Vishal to celebrate Holi with his family, offering festive sweets in a gesture of appreciation. 

Verma concluded his post with a message urging others not to judge gig workers and thanked Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal for supporting such individuals.  The post shed light on the struggles of gig workers, including low wages, job insecurity and lack of benefits.