We’re not perfect, open to inputs from government: Zepto’s Palicha after meeting labour minister Mandaviya

Zepto founder Aadit Palicha on Wednesday claimed the company was in sync with the Union government on providing social security to gig workers.

After meeting Union labour and employment minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the Zepto cofounder said the quick commerce company supports government initiatives and is open to constructive suggestions.

“The Labour Ministry has been incredibly supportive of the gig economy and hyperlocal commerce as a whole. Our hope is to partner with the government and serve its initiatives in taking our country forward,” said Palicha. “Of course, we are not perfect and we are always open to inputs from the government on how we can improve.”


In a post on X, the Zepto cofounder shared a photograph from the meeting.


Additionally, Palicha said Zepto has created employment for more than 180,000 delivery partners and over 40,000 store personnel, truck drivers and warehouse operators, adding that rivals such as Eternal-owned Blinkit, Swiggy, Rapido and Urban Company, among others, have also played a key role in supporting the gig economy.

“We take pride in the thousands of crores of payouts we disburse to our workforce every year, the world-class service we give to Indian consumers (better than the service in most developed countries), the farmers we help expand through our fruits and vegetables vertical, and the thousands of new Indian brands we help build with our platform,” he added.

The development comes days after quick commerce platforms, including Zepto, Blinkit and Swiggy, stopped promoting their operations as a '10-minute' service.

“The minister was clear that his end goal is to keep growing the employment and economic mobility that platforms like ours generate, and his feedback was intended to help us do that seamlessly,” said Palicha.

Mandavia had told the companies to drop 10-minute delivery from their branding and advertising, saying such claims put undue pressure on delivery workers and compromised their safety, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Centre’s intervention follows nationwide strikes by gig worker unions on December 25 and December 31—among the busiest days for quick commerce platforms—demanding that 10-minute delivery options be scrapped and earlier payout structures be restored.

Worker unions have argued that aggressive delivery timelines undermine safety and, in some cases, have led to accidents and fatalities.