Zomato and quick-commerce subsidiary Blinkit processed income tax returns for 210,000 delivery partners this year, recovering Rs 33.6 crore in tax refunds. Three out of four riders who used the service filed a return for the first time in their lives.
Each delivery partner who completed the filing received an average refund of approximately Rs 1,600. The filings resolved tax deducted at source withheld at a standard rate of 1 per cent on platform payouts.
Chatbot filings inside the partner app
Filing took place entirely inside the Zomato and Blinkit delivery partner mobile applications. A dedicated chatbot guided riders through a automated process managed by an external tax service provider at a subsidised fee.
The workflow removed manual paperwork and tax consultant visits, which previously prevented informal workers from claiming withheld earnings. Riders verified identity details and payout histories directly against tax records before submitting their forms.
Credit history for gig workers
Establishing an official tax record gives platform workers formal documentation that banks require for consumer loans, two-wheeler financing and rental agreements.
“For many delivery partners, this may be their first experience with formal financial services,” said Aditya Mangla, CEO of Zomato. “The aim is to make that experience useful and accessible, and help delivery partners get easier access to credit and become more financially secure over time.”
Platform retention and worker churn
Fleet turnover remains the single largest operational cost for instant delivery operators across India. Zomato, Swiggy and Zepto compete constantly for riders across major metropolitan areas, where monthly churn routinely exceeds double digits.
Value-added services such as tax recovery give platforms a retention tool that does not increase base delivery payouts. When riders recover withheld earnings directly through the company app, platforms build worker stickiness while positioning themselves as responsible employers ahead of pending gig-work labor regulations in states like Karnataka and Rajasthan.
Tax deductions at source
Indian tax regulations mandate e-commerce operators to deduct 1 per cent TDS on gross sales and contractor payouts. Most delivery workers earn below the basic taxable income exemption threshold, meaning the entire deducted balance is refundable upon filing an annual return.
Unclaimed withholding balances previously stayed with the government when delivery personnel lacked the paperwork to submit formal claims. Zomato and Blinkit plan to maintain the automated tax integration for the upcoming assessment cycle as fleet sizes expand across tier-two and tier-three Indian cities.
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