Online food ordering has become a significant aspect of life in India, with platforms like Swiggy and Zomato playing key roles in its growth. With the estimated online food delivery market reaching $7.2 billion in 2024, this trend shows no signs of slowing, especially as contactless deliveries gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent social media post that has gone viral, Amrita, a Swiggy delivery agent and student, shared her experience navigating one of Asia's largest malls to pick up food orders. According to her account, the process requires them to overcome challenges like finding parking, dealing with service elevators, and maneuvering through crowded food courts, often consuming 15-20 minutes for just one pickup. This added time directly affects delivery earnings, as Swiggy compensates agents with Rs 25 for deliveries within 5 kilometers—an amount many like Amrita believe is inadequate given the hurdles involved.

Amrita's revelations about the long and laborious process sparked a conversation about the conditions in which delivery agents operate. In her post, she proposed that mall authorities should consider arranging food pickups on lower floors to ease the process and called for Swiggy to offer additional compensation for this time-consuming effort. The reaction to her post has been substantial, evoking a wave of discussions about the need for better working conditions for delivery personnel.

The post, which accumulated significant attention, highlighted that while online food delivery has transformed accessibility to diverse cuisines, the experiences of those delivering food often don't mirror this convenience. As customer reliance on swift delivery continues to rise alongside smartphone penetration and cheap data plans, addressing the challenges faced by delivery agents like Amrita becomes increasingly important.

With calls for change echoing through the social media landscape, it remains to be seen how Swiggy and mall management will respond to the concerns raised by these frontline workers. For further insight, the original post can be viewed here.