Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal responds to Dhruv Rathee, agrees to share fact sheet on gig workers’ average hourly earnings

Amid ongoing debates over the pay and working conditions of gig workers in India, an exchange between popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has gained significant attention on social media.

The entire conversation took place on X (formerly Twitter), where Goyal defended the existing pay structure of gig workers. However, his stance was challenged by Rathee, who called for greater transparency from the top executive, including disclosures on how much the company’s delivery workers earn on an hourly basis.

As the scrutiny into the gig economy continues to intensify, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has emerged as a prominent public voice, stepping forward to defend the quick-commerce model.

What was the conversation all about?

Deepinder Goyal took to social media to address the constant conversation around worker compensation. He argued that while “ everyone who has a job wants to get paid more”, wages are ultimately dictated by market forces.

Goyal highlighted the “brutal” competition between companies reliant on the gig economy and claimed that currently, the demand for delivery partners outweighs the supply, hence pushing gig incomes higher than those of many entry-level formal sector jobs in India.

This narrative was quickly challenged by Dhruv Rathee, who called for hard data to back up these claims. He pressed Goyal to share the average hourly earnings of Zomato’s delivery workers. “Let people compare if its more than formal entry level jobs or not (sic),” Rathee commented.

The “fact sheet” promise

In response to Rathee’s request for transparency, Goyal committed to providing a detailed breakdown. “I will post a fact sheet tomorrow,” he stated, adding that the document should help observers understand the nuances of how gig work compensation is structured.

This exchange comes shortly after several delivery workers linked to e-commerce platforms staged protests across several cities, demanding better pay, safer working conditions and social security benefits.

In the past two days, Deepinder Goyal has shared several posts on X to defend the gig economy and quick-commerce model. In his posts, Goyal argued that these platforms provide livelihood opportunities to people from economically weaker sections, who otherwise could have been unemployed.

Netizens react to the exchange

The users on X appeared divided over the exchange. While some urged Goyal to avoid engaging with the YouTuber, others questioned his views on the gig economy and challenged his claims.

“Guys whatever be the reasons , let them be engaged in work , one worker is feeding a family , understand the impacts (sic),” a netizen commented.

Another person alleged that gig workers are subjected to exploitation in the name of employment, as they stated, “Sir ji, that post was like, if someone is orphan and you are sheltering him/her in your house, then it’s gives you right to exploit him/her. Whether you are agreeing ? Aap job de rhe hai, eska ye matbal nhi hai ki aap exploit kijiyega (sic).”

One person also said, “Nobody needs a fact sheet! Only share the amount of money a gig worker makes if they work for an hour or 6 hours a day!”