AAP’s Raghav Chadha seeks ban on 10-Minute Delivery

AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Friday urged the Centre to ban 10-minute delivery services offered by quick-commerce platforms, calling the practice a form of “cruelty” towards gig workers who risk their lives to meet unrealistic deadlines. Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha said delivery personnel face intense pressure, unsafe conditions and constant fear of losing their income if they fail to meet app-mandated timings.

Chadha reminded the House that delivery executives are “not robots but human beings,” often overlooked despite being “the invisible wheels of the Indian economy.” He said instant-delivery platforms have achieved billion-dollar valuations, but the workers enabling these services continue to operate in precarious conditions worse than those of daily-wage labourers.

He highlighted three major challenges faced by gig workers, hazardous work environments, speed-related pressure, and customer-driven harassment. Ten-minute delivery, he said, pushes workers to overspeed, jump red lights and put themselves at risk due to fear of rating drops, reduced incentives, or even deactivation of their accounts.

While some platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit and Zepto offer accident-insurance packages for their delivery staff including coverage for injuries, hospitalisation, and accidental death — these protections remain limited and dependent on company policies. Gig workers still do not enjoy legally guaranteed benefits like minimum wage, paid leave, or job security, as they are classified as independent contractors rather than employees.

Notably, quick-commerce companies have not issued any public response so far to Chadha’s demand for banning 10-minute delivery services or his criticism of the pressure placed on delivery personnel.

Labour experts say that although India’s Social Security Code, 2020, formally recognises gig workers for the first time, it has yet to be fully implemented. State-level welfare boards in Karnataka and Rajasthan exist on paper but remain slow in delivering tangible benefits. As a result, workers continue to rely largely on voluntary, app-based protections, which can be altered or withdrawn at any time.

Chadha urged the government to bring in clear regulations to safeguard gig workers’ rights, ensure mandatory social security, and set enforceable limits on delivery timelines. “These workers deserve humane working conditions, legal protection and dignity,” he said, adding that stronger laws are essential to address their insecurity and exploitation.