As Delhi’s temperature hovers around 44 degrees Celcius, gig workers delivering food, groceries and e-commerce parcels say the heatwave is pushing them to physical exhaustion even as the pressure to stay logged in and complete more trips leaves little room to rest.
For platform workers, income is tied directly to each completed ride or delivery. Taking a break means losing out on incentives and daily earnings in a business where there are no fixed salaries, paid leave or guaranteed income buffers. Coupled with this is the anxiety about algorithm-based penalisation by restriction of access to high-value orders, automated lockouts that freeze accounts for hours if requests are skipped and disqualification from essential daily bonus tiers.
“People are falling sick and anxious. But if we stop working, the income stops,” a delivery worker told businessline, not wishing to be identified.
Sangita (name changed) is a single mother supporting two children and ageing in-laws. Her husband left her some years ago. With no source of income, she trained as a masseuse and now does trips for Urban Company. That means lugging a heavy portable cot and other accessories for every trip. “You can’t stop,” said she, reflecting the precarity of app-based work, especially in times of extreme weather stress.
Seeking cover
Shaik Salauddin of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers has written to the government demanding the introduction of binding national heatwave protections for workers under the Code of Social Security, 2020.
Platforms say they are stepping up heat mitigation efforts for frontline workers. A Flipkart spokesperson said seasonal preparedness and frontline well-being are important elements of its operating model. “Seasonal adaptations based on local conditions have been made to ensure adequate availability of hydration and refreshment options for Wishmasters across hubs and during routes,” the spokesperson said.
According to Amazon India, measures such as advanced heat-index monitoring systems, structured breaks, job rotations, hydration guidelines, electrolyte supplements and first-aid readiness are built into the company’s daily operations.
Eternal, which owns Zomato and Blinkit, said it has strengthened insurance coverage, emergency and SOS support, as well as ramping up access to rest points and hydration facilities at dark stores and through restaurant partners.
Published on May 22, 2026