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Zomato’s CEO Deepinder Goyal says, “Time to Treat Delivery Partners with Humanity and Respect”

Deepinder Goyal

In a heartfelt appeal to the retail industry, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal emphasized the urgent need for malls to adopt a more humane approach toward delivery partners after he experienced the challenges they face while delivering food orders. His comments came after a unique initiative where he and his wife, Grecia Munoz—now known as Gia Goyal on Instagram—took on the role of delivery executives themselves in Gurugram.

Goyal highlighted the struggles of delivery personnel in urban settings, particularly in commercial spaces like malls. “It’s essential that we understand the challenges faced by our delivery partners,” Goyal said during a press conference on Sunday.

“They should be treated with respect and dignity, not as mere faceless workers. “Sharing his experience in a social media post, Goyal said: “During my second order, I realised that we need to work with malls more closely to improve working conditions for all delivery partners. And malls also need to be more humane to delivery partners. What do you think?”

The Zomato CEO tagged a video with the post elaborating upon the experience. “We reached Ambience Mall in Gurugram to pick up the order from Haldiram where I was told to take the other entrance, and realised they were asking me to take the stairs. I went in again at the main entrance to make sure there weren’t any elevators for delivery partners”.

As a delivery partner, Goyal experienced firsthand the logistical hurdles that come with the job. He recounted how he had to climb three flights of stairs just to reach the designated pick-up area, as delivery partners were not permitted inside the malls. “I realized that these workers have to wait at the stairs while their customers are inside enjoying their meals,” he noted. “This is not just inconvenient; it’s dehumanizing.

While waiting for the order, “I chilled with my fellow delivery partners while also getting valuable feedback from them,” he said. The experience not only gave him checks into their daily struggles but also a sense of community among those working in the gig economy.

His breakthrough moment came when he managed to sneak into the mall to collect an order after the staircase guard took a short break. “It was a small victory, Goyal remarked”. “These barriers are not just physical; they represent a lack of understanding and empathy towards the people who keep this system running.

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