Zomato and Blinkit Host Third Edition of ‘Powering Inclusive Growth’ Conference in Collaboration with Startup India and DPIIT – Puts Gig Economy’s Wellbeing and Inclusion at Centre Stage
New Delhi, Feb 26: Eternal companies, Zomato and Blinkit, in collaboration with Startup India, DPIIT, hosted the third edition of ‘Powering Inclusive Growth: Role of Platforms’ Conference in New Delhi. The conference brought together senior policymakers, leading platforms, civil society organizations, academic institutions and innovators who engaged in panel discussions around co-developing actionable pathways for strengthening the wellbeing of India’s platform workforce.
Notable dignitaries who attended the conference included Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Labour and Employment, and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, as Chief Guest, who delivered the keynote address. Dr. Shamika Ravi, Member, 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, joined as Guests of Honor and also addressed the gathering.
The Chief Guest for the Conference, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, 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, 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.”
The conference also witnessed an opening address by Aditya Mangla, CEO, Zomato and an address by Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Eternal.
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.”
The first panel, Advancing Diversity, Safety and Inclusion in Platform Work, dove into how elements like strengthened safety measures, improved urban mobility conditions, expanding skilling opportunities and tech-enabled safeguards will help further inclusion and wellbeing of platform workers.
The speakers included Rameesh Kailasam, Chief Executive Officer, IndiaTech.Org, Sooraj Nair, Head – Safety Operations (India and South Asia), Uber, Indrajit Chaudhuri, CEO and Country Director, Project Concern International India, Mitali Nikore, Founder & Chief Economist, Nikore Associates and Aruna Shankari, Chief Operating Officer, IRF.
The second panel, Increasing Access to Financial Inclusion and Social Security Benefits for Platform Workers, explored how tech-led solutions and simplified access can help deepen the reach of existing initiatives like access to insurance, pension instruments and government welfare programs for delivery workers.
The speakers included Mayank Dias, Advocate, Michael Dias & Associates and Moderator, FICCI Taskforce for Platform Aggregators, Sriram Iyer, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, HDFC Pension Fund Management Limited, Bhavya Sharma, Senior Director – Corporate Communications and ESG, Urban Company, Aniket Doegar, Founder, Haqdarshak and Akshar Shah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fixerra.
The Conference also saw the release of a White Paper on Enhancing Women’s Participation in Urban Last-Mile Logistics. It was developed by a consortium comprising Nikore Associates, the Udaiti Foundation and the Confederation of Indian Industry – Centre for Women’s Leadership (CII-CWL), with inputs from Zomato and Blinkit. The paper highlights the significant opportunity that the urban last-mile logistics sector presents in contributing to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, particularly the goal of increasing women’s workforce participation to 70 percent.
The third edition of the Conference hosted two Platform Worker Wellbeing Challenges, inviting startups to pitch innovations across:
- Health and Safety Solutions and Financial Inclusion Challenge, covering safety, mobility, health and wellness and gender-sensitive design for delivery workers
- Financial Inclusion and Upskilling Solutions Challenge, covering access to welfare schemes, insurance and pension coverage, affordable credit and financial literacy for delivery workers
Out of 47 applications received from across the country, six startups were shortlisted from each category and presented their solutions to a jury featuring Aditya Shrivastav, Head of Logistics, Zomato, Yogindra Samant, Occupational Safety and Health Specialist, International Labour Organization, Snovi Khanna, Social Impact, India, Krishna Thacker, Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Vikram Jain, Managing Director, FSG, Anish Mehendiratta, Director of Operations, Blinkit and Jyoti Prakash, Zomato Delivery Partner and Abhishek Kumar, Blinkit Delivery Partner.
Zomato and Blinkit have a number of initiatives in place to facilitate delivery partners’ access to benefits like OPD treatments of up to INR 5,000, medical insurance of up to INR 1 lakh and accidental insurance up to INR 10 lakhs. Women delivery partners have access to maternity insurance and two days of paid period rest days every month, with visibility on order locations between 7 PM and 5 AM.
Through Blinkit’s Doctor@Store program, delivery partners, in-store staff and their families can avail free consultations and prescribed medicines on-site, with close to 1 lakh consultations recorded since its launch in January 2026. On the financial side, partners have access to tools for creating fixed and recurring deposits, tax return filing support and the option to create pension retirement accounts under the gig-variant National Pension Scheme, all accessible through their respective delivery partner apps.
Eternal Limited:
Founded in 2008, Eternal is India’s largest new-age tech organization by market capitalization and the first tech company to join the prestigious BSE Sensex 30-share index. Driven by its mission of powering India’s changing lifestyles, Eternal’s line of businesses are spread across diverse verticals, including food delivery (Zomato), quick commerce (Blinkit), going-out offerings (District), and B2B supplies (Hyperpure).
Built in India for India, Eternal generates millions of direct and indirect earning opportunities, fueling growth and innovation across the nation.
