The Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) claimed over one lakh workers from 22 cities joined the strike, including around 14,000 from major centres like Delhi and Mumbai

Food delivery platforms Swiggy, Zomato, and magicpin reported a massive surge in orders on New Year’s Eve, saying that a strike by some gig workers had little to no impact on operations. Despite calls for improved pay and working conditions, festive demand remained strong, especially in metro cities.

The Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) claimed over one lakh workers from 22 cities joined the strike, including around 14,000 from major centres like Delhi and Mumbai. However, industry estimates suggest India has more than 12.7 million gig workers, a number expected to grow to 23.5 million by 2029–30, indicating that the striking workforce was a small fraction of the overall ecosystem.

Eternal Founder Deepinder Goyal said Zomato and Blinkit delivered at record pace during the celebrations. He credited local law enforcement for smooth operations and praised delivery partners who “showed up despite intimidation” to deliver more than 75 lakh orders to over 63 lakh customers — an all-time high. He argued the gig economy continues to attract workers because it provides opportunities and stability at scale.

Magicpin Founder Anshoo Sharma also said the strike had “no impact” on the platform, noting that food delivery has become central to Indian celebrations. Pizza, biryani, butter chicken, and traditional desserts such as gajar ka halwa dominated orders. Dinner orders peaked around 9:30 pm, with butter chicken leading in Delhi-NCR, followed by biryani and dal makhni.

Swiggy reported biryani orders hit 2.19 lakh before 7:30 pm, while pizzas and burgers each crossed 2.16 lakh orders, reflecting India’s diverse taste. Dining out remained popular, with Bengaluru and Hyderabad leading Swiggy Dineout bookings. Ahmedabad recorded the highest growth at 1.6 times, followed by Lucknow and Jaipur, showing strong consumer enthusiasm to ring in the New Year.

This New Year surge highlights the resilience and scale of India’s food delivery ecosystem, even amid labour agitation.