“Last year, we would have paid out more than Rs 5,000 crore”: Swiggy’s CEO Calls Gig Economy India’s Third Livelihood Pillar at Davos

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos, in a conference with Moneycontrol, Swiggy’s Food Marketplace CEO Rohit Kapoor revealed that more than ₹5,000 crores were paid to delivery partners last year by these delivery platforms. This helps understand the economic relevance of such platform work.

“This is truly the third pillar of livelihood in India,” Rohit Kapoor said. “Last year, we would have paid out more than Rs 5,000 crore, so there is a substantial amount of income flowing back into delivery partners’ hands.”

According to Rohit Kapoor, the sector has reached a scale where it is now central to India’s evolving employment landscape, especially as debates around gig worker earnings, incentives, and labour protections intensify.

Also Read: Meet Harish Ashok, the 17-YO Chennai entrepreneur, whose voice-based assistant makes Hardware development as easy as Software

Regulation Needed, But Not as Formal Employment

He welcomed the government’s move towards creating a regulatory framework for gig work under new labour codes, but cautioned that it should not be equated with salaried employment.

“We welcome formalisation and the fact that there is a framework around it, but any regulatory view should not equate this with formal employment, because the premise is different, this is flexible employment,” he said.

He noted that platforms, policymakers, and regulators will need a deeper understanding of the gig model’s unique structure as rules take shape.

Also Read: “We made the Saiyaara kurti & it was sold out,” Best Friends From Jaipur Started A Kurti Brand With Rs 17k – Clocked Rs 15 lakh In 6 months

Tipping Is Marginal to Partner Earnings

Responding to an issue raised about earning potential for delivery partners, he pointed out that tips are not common in India. Data from Moneycontrol earlier revealed that only 1 in 25 customers tip delivery partners on leading portals.

“Our partners’ revenues are, largely, driven by base payouts, incentives, and order density,” he further added.

Kapoor also clarified misconceptions around delivery timelines and earnings. 

“Partners deliver more not because they drive faster, but because distances are shorter,”he said,pointing to improved routing, local fulfilment, and restaurant coordination.

 Also Read: 25-YO Jaipur Woman Quit Her Job At Amazon, Invested Rs 10k From Savings To Start An Exotic Salad Startup – Clocked Rs 3 Lakh In 3 Months

Next Growth Phase

Rohit Kapoor said the next growth wave for food delivery will come from affordability and first-time users, rather than new city launches.

“Cities are not going to be the major unlock anymore — growth will come when consumers shift from self-consumption to delivery because they find it affordable and easy to trial,”he said.

Also Read: “We make exclusive high-street fashion you won’t find anywhere else,” say young startup founders of Farda, a brand clocking Rs 10L/month