“They’re criminals…”: Kunal Kamra dares Blinkit CEO on delivery wages after NYE boom

Comedian Kunal Kamra rang in the New Year with a mockery of Blinkit’s business model, accusing the Zomato-backed platform’s CEO Albinder Dhindsa of exploiting delivery workers.

Kamra, in a post on X, branded the owners of the platforms as “proprietors without owning any land”, as he asked how much Blinkit will pay its shipping partners in 2024.

The controversy arose after Dhindsa shared Blinkit’s record breaking statistics from New Year’s Eve. The fast trading app, which promises delivery within 10 minutes, reported its highest orders in a day, including the largest orders per minute (OPM), orders per hour (OPH), and total tips given to partners of delivery. Among the top purchases of the night: 1,22,356 packs of condoms, 45,531 bottles of water, 22,322 PartySmart tablets, and 2,434 packs of Eno. Dhindsa’s post joked, “Getting ready for the next party?”

Kamra didn’t find the numbers funny. “While we enjoy the convenience of fast commerce, we do not ignore the dark side,” he said, accusing Blinkit and other platforms of offering “freedom workers cannot afford” while paying wages that fail to meet aspirations.

He called the platform owners “criminals who use data like unpaid oil for the oil fields” and asked Dhindsa to disclose the average wages paid to delivery partners last year.

Dhindsa has not yet responded.

Blinkit claims that shipping partners can earn up to ₹50,000 per month, including incentives and benefits. Workers are paid weekly, with flexible shifts ranging from 4 to 10 hours. Benefits include ₹10 lakh in accident and medical insurance and joining bonus up to ₹4,000.

Despite these statements, Kamra argued that gig workers remain underpaid and overworked, warning that such patterns are ripe for regulatory intervention. “One day there will be a regulation that humiliates them,” he said.

This isn’t the first time Kamra has hired a tech CEO. In 2024, he partnered with Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal on the after-sales service of Ola’s electric scooters. Kamra had accused Ola of failing customers with poor service and limited repair options, sparking a heated exchange on social media that highlighted growing dissatisfaction with gig-driven business models.