Freelancers: Demand for freelancers will increase by 40% during peak holiday season

The demand for concert delivery drivers by fast trade Platforms like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto could grow 40% in days of maximum demand this Festive season When the general home delivery The ecosystem is expected to employ an additional 10-12 lakh drivers, industry executives told ET.

E-commerce and food delivery platforms are expected to add approximately 20% more delivery drivers during the peak holiday periodthey said.

However, while fast-track commerce currently employs between 300,000 and 400,000 delivery workers, the two older industries have a much larger base of between 400,000 and 500,000 delivery workers, and about two-thirds of them work in the e-commerce ecosystemsaid Balasubramanian Anantha Narayanan, senior vice president of workforce solutions company TeamLease.

While flash trading still accounts for a small portion of overall demand, that share is increasing rapidly, he told ET.

Some of the increased demand is expected to be met by delivery drivers taking temporary jobs over the holiday period, executives said.

“We often see people taking up jobs during the holidays, lured by bonuses… Some workers, such as air-conditioning technicians, who do not have as much work during the winter season, also join the workforce during the festive season,” said a senior executive of a fast-track retail company on condition of anonymity. “Some of the demand will also be met by new workers from surrounding villages who may have relatives or friends already working as delivery partners and who tell them about the increased income during the festive season,” the executive said.

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Festive bumper

Delivery workers are expecting a boost in income in the upcoming holiday season, driven by higher demand and bonuses during peak hours.

Riders for Fast trading platforms In metropolises like Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad, they earn between Rs 20 and Rs 30 per order, depending on the size of the order and the distance travelled, they told ET.

They also get additional benefits during peak demand, as well as incentives for completing a certain number of orders or working hours, in addition to the earnings per order. Referring new recruits also allows them to earn financial incentives during peak season.

A Swiggy Instamart delivery boy in Hyderabad said he was getting an additional benefit of Rs 15 per order on top of the earnings per order during peak hours recently. A Blinkit delivery boy in Delhi said he was getting an additional benefit of Rs 13 per order during peak hours during the recent festive days.

Delivery drivers can also earn incentives by exceeding a certain number of orders or working a certain number of hours.

The Instamart worker mentioned above earned Rs 1,200 from 22 orders recently, which works out to Rs 54 per order, while the Blinkit worker in Delhi earned Rs 1,800 from 32 deliveries made on the Rakhi festival on Monday, which translates to Rs 56 per order.

Unlocking such benefits, however, can require “unrealistic and grueling” work involving 12- to 14-hour shifts, delivery workers said.

“Companies should pay Rs 40-50 per order, including the surge benefit during peak holiday hours, even without the additional incentives,” said a Delhi-based Instamart delivery driver. “The additional incentive targets are often unrealistic and platforms may reduce the surge benefit because there is an increase in workers coming from neighbouring states.”

Swiggy, Instamart and Blinkit did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Platforms should offer workers minimum business guarantees, higher fares and other benefits, said Shaik Salauddin, president of the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers.

“When everyone is at home with their families during the holidays, the delivery person is on the street. Platforms should understand this and offer better benefits during this period,” he said.

As the line between fast-trading companies and e-commerce companies blurs in terms of merchandise and pricing, the former are likely to benefit from the festive period starting in September, which is when e-commerce companies record the bulk of their annual sales.

Meanwhile, major e-commerce operator Flipkart is set to shift part of its e-commerce staff to run Your Flipkart Minutes Fast Trading Operationscheduled for release on the Big Billion Day sales day in October.