From orders to opportunity: Zomato’s strategy for gig worker empowerment

Research methodology This case is based entirely on secondary data, including public interviews with Deepinder Goyal, LinkedIn posts, verified press coverage (e.g. NDTV 2024, The Economic Times HR 2023, Business Today, 2025), Zomato’s official blog announcements, investor relations reports and official government releases. Statements attributed to Goyal are drawn from published sources or his verified social media presence.No primary interviews were conducted. No confidential or disguised information is included. Because the case is derived solely from publicly available materials and official disclosures, no IRB approval or ethics board review was required. The case adheres to factual representation and avoids fictionalized internal dialogue.Several prior teaching cases have focused on Zomato and related gig economy firms (Saldanha et al., 2022; Yadav and Goyal, 2022; Subramanian and Choudhary, 2023; Gupta and Prashar, 2023; Pailwar, 2022). These cases emphasized themes such as delivery partner dissatisfaction, attrition, trust deficits and ultra-fast delivery challenges. The present case complements that body of work but differs by centering on empowerment initiatives, including Accelerated Safety Response Program (ASRP), the Shelter Project, Project Arya, maternity insurance and Project ZEAL, and by examining the question of whether such initiatives can be scaled while maintaining financial competitiveness and meeting investor expectations. Case overview/synopsis This case follows Deepinder Goyal, the cofounder and CEO of Zomato, as he grapples with a strategic dilemma in 2024–2025: should Zomato embed worker empowerment into the core design of its gig-based food delivery model, or should it prioritize delivery speed and cost efficiency in an increasingly competitive quick-commerce market?After conducting a covert ride-along as a delivery rider in Jaipur, Goyal launched a portfolio of empowerment initiatives focused on gig worker dignity, inclusion, safety and financial well-being. These included the ASRP, the Shelter Project, financial literacy workshops with the NSE Academy, Project Arya for women’s inclusion, maternity insurance for female riders, Project ZEAL for disability inclusion, an electric vehicle adoption pledge, fuel partnerships, a career ladder program and the Delivery Partner Well-being Framework and Survey.Students are asked to evaluate whether Goyal’s empowerment-first model can scale across India’s cities without undermining profitability or platform efficiency. The case offers an opportunity to apply strategic tools such as institutional theory, structural empowerment theory and dynamic capabilities theory to a real-world dilemma faced by a high-growth, publicly listed Indian food-tech firm. Complexity academic level This case is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses, especially in programs that cover platform strategy, entrepreneurship or organizational leadership. It has been classroom-tested on an MBA-level Strategic Management course and can be used in both core and elective formats.