Zomato and Blinkit, in collaboration with Startup India and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, hosted the third edition of the ‘Powering Inclusive Growth: Role of Platforms’ conference in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, platforms, civil society groups and academics to discuss pathways to strengthen the wellbeing of India’s platform workforce.
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Labour and Employment and Youth Affairs and Sports, delivered the keynote address as Chief Guest. Other guests of honour included Dr Shamika Ravi, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Ms Manmeet Kaur Nanda, Additional Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, and Shri Randip Singh Jagpal, Whole Time Member (Law), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority. The conference opened with remarks from Aditya Mangla, CEO, Zomato, and Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Eternal.
One of the key sessions focused on increasing access to financial inclusion and social security benefits for platform workers, examining how technology-led solutions could simplify access to insurance, pension instruments and government welfare schemes. Panellists included Mayank Dias of Michael Dias & Associates, Sriram Iyer of HDFC Pension Fund Management Limited, Bhavya Sharma of Urban Company, Aniket Doegar of Haqdarshak and Akshar Shah of Fixerra.
The event also marked the release of a white paper on enhancing women’s participation in urban last-mile logistics, developed by Nikore Associates, the Udaiti Foundation and the Confederation of Indian Industry – Centre for Women’s Leadership, with inputs from Zomato and Blinkit. The paper underlined the sector’s potential contribution to the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, particularly the target of raising women’s workforce participation to 70 percent.
The Chief Guest for the Conference, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Labour and Employment, and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, commented, “It is encouraging to see industry leaders, innovators and platforms come together to advance delivery worker wellbeing. Platform-based work has opened new avenues of opportunity for millions across the country. The responsibility now is to ensure that this growth is accompanied by robust safeguards and access to social security. While platforms continue to proactively invest in delivery worker wellbeing, such efforts will be strengthened further through constructive engagement and policy support. We encourage platforms to register themselves and their platform workers on the E-Shram portal and to proactively invest in the wellbeing of delivery workers.”
Guest of Honor, Dr. Shamika Ravi, Member, Economic Advisory Council to The Prime Minister, said, “India’s digital public infrastructure has unlocked entirely new economic possibilities, giving rise to a thriving platform ecosystem that is transforming how we work and create value. As the gig and platform economy grows, we must ensure our financial systems evolve alongside it. Extending access to savings and financial tools is essential to strengthening resilience for platform workers. There is dignity in every form of work, and platforms like Zomato and Blinkit are playing a critical role in empowering workers to build long-term financial security.”
Guest of Honor, Ms. Manmeet Kaur Nanda, Additional Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities added, “True inclusion is measured by economic empowerment, and accessibility must be its foundation, a universal design principle, never an afterthought. We are calling on all corporate organisations to commit to meaningful PwD hiring within the next one to two years and ensure real representation within their diversity goals. The inclusion gap must be closed across entire platforms and workplaces, and the department stands ready to support this effort. We commend Zomato and Blinkit for setting a strong benchmark, from rigorous skill assessments and accessible interfaces to onboarding single mothers, demonstrating what genuine commitment to worker wellbeing and inclusive growth looks like. Together, we can build a more equitable economy."
Guest of Honor, Shri Randip Singh Jagpal, Whole Time Member (Law), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, said, “A growing gig workforce demands calibrated policy and collaborative action. At PFRDA, we are working to ensure that the evolution of work does not come at the cost of social protection. Through frameworks like the NPS e-Shramik (Platform Service Partner) model, we are enabling portability and continuity of pension benefits for platform workers. We are already seeing growing participation from gig workers associated with Zomato and Blinkit. The rapid expansion of this workforce makes inclusive social security not just a regulatory priority, but a shared social responsibility. Initiatives like this one are exactly the kind of industry-regulator collaboration that will define India's next growth chapter.”
As part of the conference, two Platform Worker Wellbeing Challenges were organised across health and safety, and financial inclusion and upskilling. From 47 applications nationwide, six start-ups were shortlisted in each category to pitch before a jury comprising industry leaders, social impact experts and delivery partners.
Commenting on the Conference, Aditya Mangla, Chief Executive Officer, Zomato, said, “Delivery partners are the backbone of the platform economy and of our businesses. Investing in their wellbeing is fundamental to our growth. The gig economy has created flexible, meaningful livelihood opportunities at scale. Ensuring financial security, healthcare access and long-term opportunity is essential to strengthening this model. That is the standard we are building toward.”
Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Eternal, said, “With every edition of this Conference, the dialogue has become more focused and action-oriented. In our third year, we chose to center the conversation on health, safety and financial inclusion, areas that directly shape the everyday realities of delivery partners. Sustained progress requires both innovation and collaboration and that’s what this platform aims to spark.”
Jago Motion won the Health and Safety Challenge, with Sukoon as runner-up. Pensionbox secured the Financial Inclusion and Upskilling Challenge, followed by FatakPay. Winners received INR 10 lakh, while runners-up were awarded INR 5 lakh.
Zomato and Blinkit outlined existing initiatives for delivery partners, including OPD support up to INR 5,000, medical insurance up to INR 1 lakh and accidental cover up to INR 10 lakh. Women partners are offered maternity insurance and two days of paid period rest each month, alongside enhanced visibility of order locations during late-night hours.
Blinkit’s Doctor@Store programme has recorded nearly 100,000 consultations since its launch in January 2026, offering free on-site medical advice and prescribed medicines to delivery partners, in-store staff and their families. On the financial front, both platforms provide tools for deposits, tax filing assistance and access to pension accounts under the gig-variant National Pension Scheme through their partner apps.
