The food delivery apps Swiggy, Zomato and magicpin said they had a record New Year’s Eve, and that things mostly went as planned, despite a strike called by some of the gig workers. As people used delivery and dining apps more, millions of orders came in from the biggest cities in India during the busiest time for parties.
Those in charge of the companies said the night went smoothly because of a good supply of workers from restaurants, working closely with the police, and having plans already in place for the holidays. This increase shows how much people in India now depend on apps to get food delivered when celebrating the end of the year.
Strike Call and Little Effect on Work
Deepinder Goyal, who started Zomato, said on X that Zomato and Blinkit delivered at a record speed and weren’t held up by the strike calls. He thanked the local police for controlling a few people causing trouble, which meant service wasn’t stopped in the most important areas.
Goyal said over 450,000 delivery workers on the two apps completed more than 7.5 million orders for 6.3 million customers that day. He thanked the delivery workers who still came to work even when they were being threatened, and pointed out their part in keeping the quality of service high even with so many orders. Magicpin reported hundreds of thousands of orders every hour in the biggest cities. Anshoo Sharma, the founder and CEO, said the strike didn’t affect the company, and that New Year’s Eve proved that food delivery is now a key part of parties in cities.
The Gig & Platform Service Workers Union said more than 100,000 workers from 22 cities took part in the strike, including 14,000 in the large cities of Delhi and Mumbai. The protest was asking for better pay and better work conditions for the delivery workers.
However, the numbers show a larger situation. India is thought to have 12.7 million gig workers, and NITI Aayog thinks this will go up to 23.5 million by 2029-30. The companies said there were still enough workers to meet the higher demand.
Goyal asked people not to believe stories being pushed by people with their own goals. He said that if the system was truly unfair, it wouldn’t get and keep so many people who want to work in it. He said the gig economy is a major source of jobs.
What India Ordered on New Year’s Eve
The kinds of food people ordered showed how different tastes are in India. Swiggy said biryani had 219,000 orders even before 7:30 pm, proving it is a national favorite on busy nights. The competition between pizzas and burgers was also very close.
By 8:30 pm, Swiggy had sent out more than 218,000 pizzas, while burgers had over 216,000 orders. These numbers show that people want comfort food during parties, and quick-service foods are the biggest in the evening.
On magicpin, pizza was the early favorite. Desserts also went up a lot. Orders for gajar ka halwa and ice cream were three times higher than last year, showing people wanted a sweet end to their party meals. Dinner orders were at their highest around 9:30 pm.
In Delhi-NCR, butter chicken was the most popular main course on magicpin, followed by biryani and dal makhni. This mix shows how traditional dishes from North India are still important, along with world foods like pizza.
Eating at restaurants was also popular. Swiggy Dineout bookings were led by Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Ahmedabad had a 60% increase in bookings, with Lucknow up 30% and Jaipur up 20%, showing people really wanted to have a New Year’s Eve experience.
The Ability to Work Well Meets Worker Problems
From a work point of view, the companies showed they could work well, with routing during peak times, giving restaurants priority, and working with people on the ground helping to keep delivery times down. Being able to grow quickly when there are predictable increases is something that gives companies an edge over others.
But worker problems aren’t going away. Unions are still asking for a higher basic wage, clear rewards, and better safety, especially on busy nights. The strike, while not having a big effect, shows that there is still tension in a fast-growing area.
For the companies, keeping service reliable while also looking after delivery worker welfare will be very important. Better insurance, ways to solve problems, and earnings that can be counted on could lower friction and help with supply in the long term.
What’s Next for India’s Gig Economy
With NITI Aayog predicting the gig workforce will grow, talks about policy will likely get sharper around social security, the lowest possible earnings, and clear data. Frameworks at the state level and benefits from the companies could make a more fair system.
For people who buy things, the New Year’s Eve increase shows a lasting change in how they act. Swiggy New Year’s Eve orders, Zomato record orders, and magicpin’s order increase show a market where being easy, having a choice, and getting things on time are what people expect.
The main point is clear. Parties in India now go through food delivery apps and apps for dining out. Keeping that going will need excellent work and real progress on worker welfare, so that growth is both able to be increased and fair to all.
