Gondi Krishna, a 29-year-old delivery partner, has been waiting for three days for his account to be restored on the delivery app. His phone used to buzz constantly with orders, but now it stays silent. Krishna's account was blocked and blacklisted on February 19 for standing in solidarity with another delivery partner whose account had been removed.
Across Bengaluru, gig workers like Krishna face shrinking pay, opaque algorithms, and customer support systems that often fail to resolve their complaints. Many describe the growing importance of app-based delivery services as a double-edged sword.
Nitesh Kumar, 26, a delivery partner, said the per-kilometer earnings have dropped from ₹10 to ₹15 to ₹6. This has lengthened the workday for many riders, making it difficult to meet their earning targets. Ajay Kumar, 36, said the payment system often feels inconsistent, with some orders paying ₹18 for 2 kilometers and others ₹25 for 4 kilometers.
The Karnataka Gig Workers Act, passed in 2025, guarantees platform-based workers the right to grievance redressal against aggregator companies and the state board overseeing the sector. However, several riders said the support they receive rarely goes beyond automated responses.
Sheikh Imran, 32, said delays in resolving issues often eat into his earnings. Arvind Yadav, 28, said he sometimes waits long stretches without assignments, while others receive multiple orders. The algorithms that determine which rider receives an order are another source of frustration.
For Krishna and two fellow workers, the dispute with their platform has moved beyond pay or order allocation. All three have lost their jobs entirely, and Krishna's family is struggling to make ends meet. The three workers have approached Mohammad Inayat Ali, president of the Karnataka App Based Drivers Union, seeking help.
Ali said the union has received multiple complaints from delivery partners about declining pay and the lack of response from companies. He added that problems are not limited to delivery platforms and that exploitation towards workers is a widespread issue.
