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In an unconventional deep dive into the world of gig work, Aum Vats, a Delhi-based professional, took it upon himself to work as a delivery rider for two of India’s top quick-commerce platforms — Zepto and Blinkit — to understand the real-life challenges faced by last-mile delivery workers.
Vats documented his week-long experience on X (formerly Twitter), offering a comparative analysis of the work environments, operational systems, and rider support mechanisms of both platforms. His post sparked widespread engagement, with users praising the hands-on approach and sharing their own anecdotes.
Last week, I took on a new project at hand – Understanding the rider’s journey in the Q-comm. industry.
I spent a week delivering orders for @ZeptoNow and @letsblinkit , and here are some insights and potential improvements both of them could make. pic.twitter.com/ca5jhHME34
Advertisement · Scroll to continue— Aum Vats (@aumvats) April 1, 2025
“I decided to experience the delivery ecosystem from the inside to better understand the Q-commerce landscape,” Vats wrote in his post. He backed his observations with photos taken from inside both Zepto and Blinkit delivery hubs.
While Zepto scored high for the organization of its dark stores, Vats found Blinkit’s overall rider experience to be more seamless. He credited this to Blinkit’s parent company, Zomato (now operating under the brand name Eternal), noting that its legacy in the food delivery space likely contributed to a better-structured system.
Among the standout features of Blinkit was an in-app tool that lets riders report unsafe areas and bad road conditions — a safety feature not yet available in Zepto. He also praised Blinkit’s order verification and collection process, which he said was swift and efficient. Notably, Blinkit also anonymizes customer phone numbers to protect privacy, something Vats highlighted as a thoughtful feature.
His time with Zepto, however, revealed some areas needing improvement. Vats reported discrepancies in distance calculations, which affected earnings, and pointed out that uniforms were issued only after two weeks — unlike Blinkit, which provided them on the first day. Zepto did, however, require proof of delivery for each order, which riders appreciated as a way to safeguard themselves from disputes.
Vats also emphasized Blinkit’s stronger rider support infrastructure. He was particularly impressed by the direct access to fleet coaches — a support system Zepto lacked.
The thread quickly went viral, attracting responses from delivery workers and customers alike. One user asked about the differences in rider compensation, while another praised the initiative, saying, “This is the kind of ground-level insight that companies need to hear more of.”
Vats concluded that while both platforms have their strengths, Blinkit edges out slightly due to its comprehensive rider support and operational precision.
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