Quick commerce platforms cap summer rider incentives at 5-6%, half the usual hike, triggering Bengaluru strike

Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, Bigbasket, Amazon and Flipkart raised summer delivery incentives just 5-6% versus the usual 10-15%, citing cost discipline as Instamart's Q4 GOV slipped 0.7% QoQ to Rs 7,881 cr. Riders earning Rs 20-30 per order struck on May 16 as fuel costs eat into Rs 800/day weekday earnings.

— Source publishedTue, 19 May, 2026, 10:00 IST·First seen Tue, 19 May, 2026, 12:30 IST·Source ET Hospitality

What happened

Swiggy Instamart · Quick commerce and ecommerce platforms have raised summer rider incentives only 5-6% versus the usual 10-15%, citing cost discipline and

Key facts

  • 5-6% incentive hike
  • 10-15% usual hike
  • Rs 800/day weekday earnings
  • Rs 20-30 per order
  • Rs 7,881 crore Instamart Q4 GOV
  • 0.7% QoQ decline

Why this matters

Rider unrest and capped incentives across Swiggy, Zepto, Bigbasket, Amazon and Flipkart open a window for differentiated last-mile partnerships or acquisitions of fleet-tech and gig-worker platforms that improve effective earnings without raising payouts.