Delhi, 43°C. On a scorching afternoon, Pawan Kumar, a 32-year-old delivery rider, wipes sweat from his face as he zips between orders in West Delhi. “I park under trees when I can,” he says. “But with 25 deliveries, there’s no time to rest.”
That’s not a weather update—it’s a warning. The heatwave across India is real, brutal, and pushing frontline gig workers to the edge. While companies boast about cooling stations and hydration kits, on-ground realities tell another story.
What does this mean for the average worker?
If you’ve ordered groceries or food this summer, it probably arrived thanks to someone working through 40+ degree heat. But for many gig workers, the supposed “heat safety measures” feel more like PR than protection.
What companies say they’re doing
Big names like Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto, Amazon, and Flipkart have all rolled out initiatives this summer:
- Rest shelters, shaded or air-conditioned
- Hydration points and electrolyte supplements
- Flexible shifts and extra pay for working peak heat hours
- Insurance coverage and medical support
Eternal (which owns Zomato and Blinkit) says it has 2,500 rest stops. Amazon has opened 100 air-conditioned “Ashray” centers. Zepto gives incentives up to 2x the normal rate during hot afternoons.
Sounds good. On paper.
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Now, what do workers say?
“It’s not that these things don’t exist,” says Shaik Salauddin of the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT). “It’s that workers either don’t know where they are—or don’t have time to use them.”
A 2024 IFAT survey found:
- 50% of gig workers had symptoms of heat exhaustion
- 40% lacked access to clean drinking water
- 69% didn’t have usable washrooms nearby
And here’s the kicker: Even if they wanted to rest, they often can’t afford to. Their pay depends on how fast and how many deliveries they make. Taking breaks? That’s lost income.
A heatwave that exposes the cracks
The heart of the issue is structural. Gig workers aren’t full-time employees—they’re independent contractors, often without formal protections. And as climate change worsens, these summer extremes will only get hotter and more frequent.
Sure, companies are doing more this year. Real-time weather alerts, long-sleeve uniforms, cooling hubs—it’s a step forward. But none of that matters if access is inconsistent and economic pressure forces workers to power through the pain.
The absurdity? The system runs on speed—and sweat
India’s instant delivery culture is booming. We want everything in 10 minutes. But every “quick” order comes at a slow cost to the person bringing it to our door.
One could say companies are offering a sip of water for a house on fire.
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What needs to change?
- Make rest stations visible and accessible in apps
- Give workers real flexibility—not just time slots, but wages that allow breaks
- Treat heat protection like a safety rule, not a summer perk
- Extend support to tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where protections are even thinner
Otherwise, the same gig workers who fuel our instant economy may burn out—literally.
The bottom line:
The heatwave is no longer just a seasonal annoyance. It’s a climate and labor crisis rolled into one. India’s delivery platforms must move from good intentions to grounded action—or risk losing the very workforce keeping them alive.
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