A YouTuber’s interview with Swiggy and Zomato delivery agents in Bengaluru has provided some fascinating insights into their earnings. Loveena Kamath, the woman behind the Full Disclosure YouTube channel, interviewed two delivery agents in India’s IT capital and discovered that both of them earn more than the average IT engineer.
In India, Kamath explained, an IT engineer earns around ₹20,000 per month on average. However, the two delivery agents she spoke to earn more than double that amount.
One of the delivery agents, Shiva, works for Swiggy and earns between ₹40,000 and ₹50,000 a month. Despite being only 22, he has been working as a delivery agent for three years. His income comes from Swiggy’s base pay of ₹20 per order, along with tips and incentives. Shiva mentioned that he receives approximately ₹5,000 a month in tips. Over the past six months, he has managed to save ₹2 lakh. Shiva hopes to use these savings to start a business in his village, aiming to open a D-Mart that will create employment opportunities for the local community.
Kamath also spoke to Taiyappa, a delivery agent for Zomato, who confirmed that he earns close to ₹40,000 a month. Taiyappa, like Shiva, has been working as a delivery agent for three years.
Kamath shared their stories on Instagram, captioning her videos: “It is 2024 and Food Delivery Partners are earning MORE THAN Software Engineers.” In her video, she clarified that most delivery partners do not view this as a long-term career but as a way to earn money for better opportunities. She also highlighted that delivery drivers work between 12 to 13 hours a day to achieve these earnings.
The social media reaction was mixed. Some people were impressed by the earnings, while others pointed out the hard work required compared to software engineers. One Instagram user commented, “But the pain of working like that is completely different from engineers.” Another user noted, “People don’t understand the engineer may start at 25-30k but eventually he or she will see major growth in their package whereas the delivery guy won’t...so let’s not compare.”
Another commenter shared a story about a Zomato rider who made ₹70,000 in a month by working tirelessly day and night. This rider made so many deliveries that Zomato rewarded him with a laptop and an electric scooter.
Overall, Kamath’s interviews highlight the significant earnings potential for food delivery agents in India, while also shedding light on the challenges and long hours they endure to make a living.
