You place an order. You track it on your phone. And within 20 minutes, a delivery worker may be standing at your doorstep.
But what do we really see behind those 20 minutes?
For the delivery worker, an order is not simply an order. It is part of his daily income—the money that pays for groceries, school fees, rent, vehicle instalments and fuel for the next day.
India’s digital economy has transformed urban life. Food, groceries, medicines and everyday essentials are now available with a few clicks. According to NITI Aayog, India’s gig workforce is projected to reach 23.5 million by 2029-30.
But this convenience comes with a human cost that often remains invisible.
A delivery worker may spend 10–12 hours on the road. His earnings are reduced by fuel, vehicle maintenance, tyres, mobile data, EMI or rent and other work-related expenses. At the same time, there is constant pressure to complete more orders.
And then there are the risks.
Traffic jams. Wrong addresses. Restaurant delays. Sudden rain. Extreme heat. Road accidents.
A 2025 survey of 1,000 platform workers across 10 cities found that 62% had experienced near-miss road accidents, while 27% reported a traffic accident during work. Lucknow and Agra were among the cities surveyed.
The same survey found that 84% had experienced extreme heat, while many reported receiving little or no support from platforms to deal with heatwave conditions.
There is another dimension we need to examine: the app itself.
The app assigns orders, records work, calculates payouts, displays ratings and often determines incentives and priorities.
So, is the app merely technology—or has it become a new form of management?
Ratings raise another difficult question. For customers, giving one to five stars takes seconds. But for workers, ratings can affect their work experience and, potentially, their earnings.
Should a worker be blamed when a restaurant is late, traffic causes a delay, the location is wrong or heavy rain forces him to slow down?
The 2025 survey also found that 44% of gig workers lacked accident insurance, 62% lacked health insurance coverage and 60% had received no safety training from platforms.
The delivery worker is therefore not merely a “delivery boy”.
He is a worker—and increasingly, a face of the future of employment.
The next time your phone says, “Your order has arrived”, look beyond the screen.
The real question is not only:
“How quickly will my order arrive?” It should also be:
“Will the person who delivered it return home safely?”
A truly inclusive digital economy must deliver not only convenience, but also dignity, security and safety to the people who make that convenience possible.
