A public exchange between YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has sparked widespread attention on social media, as debates over gig worker pay and working conditions in India continue to intensify.
The back-and-forth unfolded on X (formerly Twitter), where Goyal mounted a defense of how gig workers are compensated. Rathee pushed back, demanding that the food delivery platform’s chief executive provide transparent data, specifically on the hourly earnings of delivery personnel.
As scrutiny of the gig economy grows, Goyal has positioned himself as a leading public advocate for the quick-commerce business model.
The exchange
Goyal turned to social media to address recurring questions about worker pay. He maintained that while “everyone who has a job wants to get paid more,” wages are fundamentally driven by market dynamics.
The Zomato founder emphasized the intense competition among gig-economy-dependent companies and asserted that current demand for delivery partners exceeds supply, thereby driving gig incomes above many entry-level formal sector jobs in India.
Rathee was quick to challenge this assertion, pressing for concrete evidence. He asked Goyal to disclose the average hourly earnings of Zomato’s delivery workers, so the public could verify whether they truly exceed formal entry-level wages.
Commitment to transparency
Responding to Rathee’s demand for data, Goyal pledged to release detailed information. “I will post a fact sheet tomorrow,” he wrote, suggesting the document would clarify how gig worker compensation is structured.
This conversation emerged shortly after delivery workers affiliated with e-commerce platforms organized protests in multiple cities, calling for improved pay, safer working conditions and social security protections.
Over the past two days, Goyal has posted repeatedly on X to defend the gig economy and quick-commerce sector. In his messages, he argued that these platforms offer livelihood opportunities to individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who might otherwise remain unemployed.
Social media reactions
Opinion on X appeared sharply divided following the exchange. Some users advised Goyal against engaging with the YouTuber, while others questioned his perspective on the gig economy and disputed his assertions.
“Guys whatever be the reasons, let them be engaged in work, one worker is feeding a family, understand the impacts,” one user commented.
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Another user alleged that gig workers face exploitation disguised as employment, writing, “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”.
A third person stated, “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!”.
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