Zomato says it experiences very high turnover among its delivery workforce in India, with the company terminating roughly 5,000 delivery partners each month, while between 150,000 and 200,000 leave voluntarily and a similar number join. The revelation came from Zomato chief executive Deepinder Goyal during a podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani and sheds light on the churn that defines India’s gig economy.
Zomato delivery partners face high churn
Goyal explained that many workers treat the role as temporary. For some, app-based delivery is a transitional job used to bridge earnings gaps or to offer immediate cash while they search for longer-term opportunities. Others sign on for short periods and leave once they have met short-term financial goals.
At the same time, Goyal said the company fires about 5,000 delivery partners monthly for conduct that includes repeated fraud. Examples cited include delivery partners marking orders as delivered when they were not, and failing to return cash taken for cash-on-delivery orders. Such incidents prompt enforcement action despite the company’s efforts to detect and deter misuse.
Zomato uses an internal scoring mechanism known as the karma score to assess both customers and riders. The tool weighs past behaviour to prioritise support and investigate disputes. Goyal noted that the system is imperfect and that in many cases the company bears losses when fraudulent claims are made. He estimated the company absorbs losses in roughly half to 70 per cent of contested incidents.
Customer-driven fraud compounds the problem. Goyal described instances in which customers claim contamination or submit doctored images, some of which appear to be generated using image tools, to secure refunds. Such claims make it harder for the company to adjudicate disputes and protect honest delivery partners.
The turnover figures arrive as Zomato adapts its business mix. Until recently food delivery was the firm’s largest unit by volume, but quick commerce arm Blinkit has since overtaken it. Zomato also operates District, a leisure-focused business, and Hyperpure, a B2B grocery supply service. Despite the shifting unit-level dynamics, food delivery remains an important revenue contributor.
High workforce churn carries operational costs and risks for platform reliability. Constant rotation requires ongoing onboarding and training, increases monitoring needs and can affect service consistency. For workers, the pattern highlights the precarious nature of gig work where income and job security can be unpredictable.
Goyal’s remarks underline the structural challenges facing app-based platforms that depend on large fleets of gig workers. Balancing rapid recruitment with fraud prevention and maintaining fair treatment of delivery partners will be crucial as the company pursues growth across multiple business lines in India.
Key Takeaways:
- Zomato terminates about 5,000 delivery partners monthly while roughly 150,000–200,000 leave voluntarily and a similar number are newly hired.
- Many workers view the role as temporary or a stop-gap to meet immediate earnings needs.
- Fraud by some delivery partners and fraudulent customer complaints drive many terminations despite company safeguards like the karma score.
- High churn poses operational and reputational challenges for Zomato as it balances food delivery with newer units such as Blinkit and Hyperpure.
