Swiggy rider drags food delivery box on road after being paid Rs 35 for 6.2 km trip. Video goes viral

A delivery partner working with Swiggy allegedly dragged his food delivery box along the road after being paid just Rs 35 for a 6.2 km trip, sparking debate online over gig worker pay and accountability.

A video of the incident, widely shared on X, shows the rider pulling the box behind his vehicle in apparent frustration. The user who posted the clip called it “outright exploitation,” arguing that such incidents reflect how companies push workers to their limits while offering minimal payouts.

The video, however, triggered mixed reactions. While some sympathised with the rider’s situation, others criticised his actions. One user said the rider had willingly accepted the job under those terms and that damaging the delivery could hurt his own prospects. “He has a better option to quit… this kind of behaviour may cost him future employment,” the user wrote.




Another echoed a similar sentiment, suggesting that switching jobs would have been a better response. Several users also pointed out that customers should not bear the consequences of disputes between companies and delivery partners. “Low payout is unfair, but spoiling the food isn’t the right way to protest,” one comment read.

Others speculated that factors like penalties or prior issues could have contributed to the rider’s frustration, adding that service-oriented roles require emotional stability.

The incident comes against the backdrop of growing unrest among gig workers across platforms like Zomato, Zepto, Blinkit, Amazon and Flipkart. Delivery workers staged strikes on December 25 and 31, citing declining payouts and worsening working conditions.

India’s gig workforce is expanding rapidly, estimated at around 12 million in FY25, up from 7.7 million in FY21, and projected to reach 23.5 million by FY30. Yet, income instability remains a major concern. According to the Economic Survey 2025–26, nearly 40% of gig workers earn less than Rs 15,000 per month.

Earlier, workers associated with Urban Company also protested, demanding basic protections such as fixed working hours, weekly offs, and access to drinking water and sanitation facilities.

Between the rider dragging a box and the comments blaming him for it, there’s a quiet tension sitting underneath—people arguing about behaviour, while the system itself slips past the spotlight. That part tends to stay.