Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha has called for significant regulatory intervention in India's fast-growing quick commerce sector. He has demanded a ban on hyper-fast delivery services promising 10-minute deliveries and urged the government to implement stronger protections for gig economy workers.
Three Critical Challenges Faced by Delivery Partners
During his address, Chadha pinpointed three major systemic issues plaguing delivery executives and gig workers across platforms. He stated that the relentless pressure of speed and stringent delivery time targets compromises both worker and public safety. Workers are often forced to navigate traffic dangerously to meet unrealistic deadlines set by algorithms.
The second challenge highlighted was the widespread problem of customer harassment. Delivery personnel frequently face verbal abuse and unreasonable demands from customers, with little to no institutional support or recourse from the aggregator platforms.
Thirdly, Chadha brought attention to the hazardous working conditions that have become normalized. This includes working through extreme weather events like intense heatwaves or heavy monsoon rains without adequate safety gear, rest periods, or health insurance.
The Call for a Ban and Policy Overhaul
Raghav Chadha's primary legislative demand is a clear ban on delivery services advertising and enforcing 10-minute delivery slots. He argues that this business model inherently forces workers into unsafe practices and should be deemed unsustainable from a labor welfare perspective.
Beyond the ban, his appeal involves crafting a robust policy framework to safeguard gig workers. This framework would ideally redefine the relationship between platforms and workers, ensuring access to basic social security benefits, fair grievance redressal mechanisms, and regulated working hours with mandatory breaks.
Implications for India's Gig Economy
This demand, made on December 5, 2025, strikes at the heart of a major debate in India's digital economy. The quick commerce sector, valued at billions of dollars, relies heavily on the promise of instant gratification for consumers. Chadha's intervention forces a critical examination of the human cost behind this convenience.
If such demands gain political traction, they could lead to:
- Stricter regulations for all food and grocery delivery applications.
- A potential shift in business models away from hyper-speed promises.
- Nationwide discussions on formulating a "Gig Worker Welfare Act".
The move puts the spotlight on the need to balance technological innovation and market growth with fundamental labor rights. As the gig workforce expands exponentially, the call for their protection is likely to become a central issue in policy-making circles.
