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‘If System Was Unfair…’: Deepinder Goyal Defends Gig Economy After Workers’ Strike
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Deepinder Goyal said the record deliveries were completed without any additional incentives for delivery partners
Deepinder Goyal said the gig economy has emerged as one of India’s largest organised job creation engines.
Delivery platform founder Deepinder Goyal defended India’s gig economy, arguing that a system that is fundamentally unfair would not be able to attract and retain large numbers of workers, after delivery partners’ unions held a nationwide strike on December 31.
Deepinder Goyal said that Zomato and its quick-commerce arm Blinkit clocked their highest-ever number of deliveries on New Year’s Eve, despite calls for work stoppages by sections of gig workers.
“One thought for everyone: if a system were fundamentally unfair, it would not consistently attract and retain so many people who choose to work within it,” Deepinder Goyal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), cautioning against what he described as “narratives pushed by vested interests”.
Record Deliveries Despite Strike, Deepinder Goyal Says
Deepinder Goyal said that more than 4.5 lakh delivery partners across Zomato and Blinkit delivered over 75 lakh orders to more than 63 lakh customers in a single day- an all-time high for the platforms.
Deepinder Goyal said the record deliveries were completed without any additional incentives for delivery partners, adding that while New Year’s Eve typically sees higher incentives than normal days, this year was no different from previous New Year’s periods.
“Over 4.5 lakh delivery partners showed up for work,” he said, calling their participation significant and not negligible.
‘10-Minute Promise Not About Speeding’
In a follow-up post, Deepinder Goyal addressed concerns around Blinkit’s 10-minute delivery promise, pushing back against criticism that such timelines encourage unsafe driving.
“Our 10-minute delivery promise is enabled by the density of stores around your homes. It’s not enabled by asking delivery partners to drive fast,” he said.
Deepinder Goyal said delivery partners do not even see the promised delivery time on their apps.
“Delivery partners don’t even have a timer on their app to indicate what was the original time promised to the customer,” he added.
Explaining the process, he said orders are typically picked and packed within about 2.5 minutes, after which riders travel an average distance of under two kilometres in about eight minutes, translating to an average speed of around 15 kmph.
‘Hard To Imagine The Complexity’
Deepinder Goyal acknowledged public concern around safety, saying the criticism stems from a lack of understanding of how the system works.
“I understand why everybody thinks 10 minutes must be risking lives, because it is indeed hard to imagine the sheer complexity of the system design which enables quick deliveries,” he wrote.
He also urged sceptics to speak directly to delivery partners.
“If you’ve ever wanted to know why millions of Indians voluntarily take up platform work and sometimes even prefer it to regular jobs, just ask any rider partner when you get your next food or grocery order,” he said, adding, “You will be humbled by how rational and honest they will be with you.”
‘No System Is Perfect’
While defending the gig economy, Deepinder Goyal said platforms remain open to improvement.
“No system is perfect, and we are all for making it better than today,” he said, adding that the sector is “far from what it is being portrayed on social media by people who don’t understand how our system works and why”.
“If I were outside the system, I would also believe that gig workers are being exploited, but that’s not true,” he added.
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Delhi, India, India
January 01, 2026, 20:08 IST
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Rachel ClunBusiness reporter
Getty ImagesPeople buying cryptocurrency in the UK now need to share their account details or face penalties, in changes that came into effect on 1 January.
The move by the UK’s tax body is designed to ensure they pay all relevant tax on buying and selling crypto, including capital gains tax.
HMRC will begin automatically collecting information on all users of cryptocurrency exchanges – which are effectively the industry’s banks – in a bid to start collecting tens of millions in unpaid tax.
The change comes as the financial watchdog continues its consultation on tougher regulation for the industry, including measures to stop insider trading.
The value of Bitcoin, which is often seen as a barometer of the entire industry, surged from about $93,500 (£69,500) a coin at the start of 2025 to a high of nearly $124,500 before falling below $90,000 by the end of the year.
Investors who bought when the value was lower and sold when it was higher are in line to pay taxes, but authorities have historically struggled to collect it, says Dawn Register, a tax dispute resolution partner at accountancy firm BDO.
“HMRC has been concerned for some time about high levels of non-compliance among crypto investors,” she says.
The new rules coming in will make it much harder for the crypto rich to hide any untaxed gains, giving the tax authorities much more information about crypto users and their transactions.
Cryptocurrency exchanges, which act like banks for the industry allowing people to exchange standard currency for virtual coins, must now ensure they automatically share up to date and accurate accounts of all their users’ earnings.
If not, fines may be imposed.
These Cryptoasset Reporting Framework (CARF) regulations are being implemented in dozens of other countries which will make international cooperation easier for tax authorities to share information.
In the UK, the HMRC estimates there could be many thousands of crypto owners with unpaid tax bills and hope the new rules will bring in at least £300m in the next five years.
Ms Register warns that anyone who made crypto gains in the 2024-25 financial year may have to file a tax return before 31 January, through a new dedicated section in the self-assessment form.
“HMRC is also looking to encourage voluntary disclosure where people have unpaid tax in earlier years and want to correct their affairs,” she says.
“HMRC is running a disclosure facility where taxpayers can come clean on undeclared gains and unpaid tax prior to April 2024.”
Meanwhile, the Financial Conduct Authority is running public consultation until 12 February on other proposed crypto rules, which include standards for crypto exchanges, new requirements to ensure brokers act responsibly, and rules around crypto lending and borrowing.
Commenting on the consultation last month, the authority’s executive director for payments and digital finance David Geale said regulation was coming.
“Our goal is to have a regime that protects consumers, supports innovation and promotes trust. We welcome feedback to help us finalise these rules,” he said.
With additional reporting from Joe Tidy
Business
BSNL offers WiFi calling services! Telecom provider announces nationwide rollout — No additional cost, no third-party apps & more – The Times of India
BSNL or the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited on Thursday rolled out a new facility for its users, Voice over Wifi (VoWoFi) or Wi-Fi calling, aiming to provide high quality connectivity even in adverse conditions. The service can be availed throughout all telecom circles from January 1, the beginning of New Year 2026. With VoWiFi, BSNL subscribers can make and receive voice calls and messages over any Wi-Fi network. The move is expected to improve call clarity and reliability in indoor spaces such as homes, offices and basements, as well as in remote and difficult-to-reach areas. The facility can be availed with no additional cost.The service is based on an IMS platform and allows uninterrupted handovers between Wi-Fi and mobile networks. Calls are placed through the regular phone dialler using the customer’s existing mobile number, removing the need for third-party applications. BSNL said the service will be especially beneficial for users living in rural and remote regions where mobile coverage is limited, as long as their is access to a stable Wi-Fi connection. This includes connectivity through BSNL Bharat Fiber and other broadband services. The Wi-fi calling feature is expected to reduce network congestion.This nationwide rollout is a part of the telecom giant’s effort to advance ongoing modernisation programme and focus on strengthening connectivity in underserved parts of the country.VoWiFi is supported on most modern smartphones, and customers can activate it by switching on the Wi-Fi Calling option in their device settings.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) greeted 2026 with a bull-run on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining nearly 1,500 points during the opening hours of the trading session.
At about 11:00 am, the PSX’s benchmark index was hovering at 175,551.37, a gain of 1,497.05 points or 0.85 percent.
Out of 565 companies traded so far, share prices of 329 companies were up, 96 down while 140 remained unchanged.
Buying interest was observed in key sectors, including commercial banks, oil and gas exploration companies and OMCs. Index-heavy stocks, including OGDC, POL, PPL, PSO, MCB and UBL, traded in the green.
On a fiscal front, the Fedeal Board of Revenue (FBR) provisionally collected Rs6,154 billion during the first six months (July-December) 2025-26 against the target of Rs6,490 billion, reflecting a shortfall of Rs336 billion.
The shortfall in revenue collection during December 2025 may prompt the government to activate contingency measures as agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
On Wednesday, the stock exchange closed lower after profit-taking on the last trading day of the year was set in. The index decreased by 418.45 points to settle at 174,054.32 points.
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