‘They’re thugs…’: Blinkit CEO Kunal Kamra denounces delivery fares after NYE boom

Comedian Kunal Kamra ushered in the new year by mocking Blinkit’s gig economy model, accusing the Zomato-backed platform’s CEO, Albinder Dhindsa, of exploiting delivery workers.

In a post on X, Kamra described platform owners as “property owners without owning any land,” as he questioned how much Blinkit would pay its delivery partners in 2024.

Controversy erupted after Dhindsa shared Blinkit’s record-breaking stats on New Year’s Eve. The express commerce app, which promises 10-minute delivery, recorded its highest orders ever in a single day, including the largest orders per minute (OPM), orders per hour (OPH), and total tips given to delivery partners. Among the top purchases of the night: 1,22,356 packets of condoms, 45,531 bottles of water, 22,322 PartySmart tablets and 2,434 cans of Eno drink. Dhindsa sarcastically wrote: “Preparing for the next party?”

Kamra did not find the numbers amusing. “While we enjoy the comfort of fast commerce, let’s not ignore the dark side,” he said, accusing Plinket and other platforms of offering “freedom that workers cannot afford” while paying wages that do not meet their aspirations.

He described the platform owners as “thugs who use data as oil without paying for the oil fields,” and demanded that Dhindsa disclose the average wages paid to delivery partners in the past year.

Dhindsa has not yet responded.

Blinkit claims that delivery partners can earn up to INR 50,000 per month, including incentives and benefits. Workers are paid weekly, with flexible shifts ranging from 4 to 10 hours. Perks include INR 10 lakh in incidental and medical insurance and joining bonuses of up to INR 4000.

Despite these claims, Kamra claimed gig workers remained underpaid and overworked, warning that such models were ripe for regulatory intervention. “One day there will be an organization that humiliates them,” he said.

This is not the first time Kamra has served as a CTO. In 2024, he had an argument with Ola founder Bhavish Agarwal over the after-sales service of Ola’s electric scooters. Kamra accused Ola of failing customers with poor service and limited repair options, sparking a heated debate on social media that highlighted growing dissatisfaction with gig-based business models.