The first drops of rain had barely hit the streets when food delivery apps across Delhi began buzzing with fresh orders. As office-goers stayed indoors and families reached for their phones to order groceries, medicines and meals, Rahul Kumar of New Seemapuri zipped up his raincoat, logged into his app and headed out onto the roads that were fast disappearing beneath water.
July has been a profitable month for gig business in the national capital, bringing above-normal monsoon rainfall fuelled by a few intense spells after a prolonged dry phase.
When it rains, thousands of food and quick-commerce delivery partners like Rahul see an opportunity to earn more, even if it means navigating waterlogged roads, traffic snarls and long hours on two-wheelers. While the monsoon makes deliveries more physically demanding, many gig workers say the additional incentives offered by delivery platforms during rainy spells help offset the hardships.
Combined with flexible working hours and the freedom to log in whenever they choose, several riders describe the work as financially more rewarding than many conventional jobs they previously held.
Seizing the opportunity
Rahul joined the gig economy four months ago after losing his previous job at a private organisation in Noida, which shut down its operations. Instead of waiting for another office job, he decided to become a delivery partner. The move, he said, has provided him with a dependable source of income while allowing him to benefit from higher earnings whenever the demand surges. “When it rains, more people order from home.
That means we receive more deliveries as well as surge incentives. The work becomes harder, but we also get paid more,” he muses, adding, “The additional amount starts at around `15 per order and can go up to `40, depending on the intensity of the rain.” Several workers deliberately extend their shifts during rainy spells because surge incentives can significantly boost their daily earnings.
Shivam Kumar of Loni, another delivery executive, points out that rainfall is only one of several occasions when delivery partners receive additional payouts. “We earn extra on festivals, national holidays and Sundays, too,” he shares. According to him, the incentive structure is also linked to the distance travelled. “Normally, our deliveries are assigned within a radius of about three kilometres. If we are required to deliver beyond that distance, we receive additional payment for those orders as well,” he says.
Rainy evenings, weekends, festivals and public holidays are often the busiest periods for delivery partners. Despite the higher earnings, rain transforms the nature of every delivery. Roads become slippery, traffic slows, and waterlogged stretches often force riders to take longer routes, making each trip more physically demanding and time-consuming. But they are willing to grab the chance.
Flexibility of gig work
For many delivery partners, however, the appeal of gig work extends beyond monetary incentives. Flexible working hours have emerged as one of the biggest reasons for choosing the profession over traditional employment.
Another gig worker, Allaudin Khan from northeast Delhi, says the flexibility has completely transformed his daily routine. “I have been doing this for around a year. I also own a chicken shop, which is now managed by my brother. I am not a morning person, and in the chicken business you have to wake up very early every day to buy birds from the market. So I quit it and joined as a gig worker last year. This allows me to log in whenever I want, so I don’t have to compromise with my sleep,” Khan shares.
According to him, the freedom to decide when to work has improved his work-life balance. Unlike conventional jobs with fixed office hours, gig work allows delivery partners to log in and out according to their own schedules. Many riders feel this flexibility enables them to accommodate personal commitments while extending their working hours during periods of high demand.
Those periods often coincide with rain, weekends, festivals and public holidays, when orders surge across delivery platforms. Although the work offers considerable flexibility, riders point out that it also requires them to shoulder many responsibilities.
Maintenance expenses
Aman Singh, who lives in Noida, notes that though companies provide some of the essential equipment needed during the monsoon, the responsibility of maintaining the vehicle rests entirely with the rider.
“We have been provided raincoats and waterproof delivery bags, which are essential for protecting both us and the order during rain. The company has also given T-shirts to every worker. However, the vehicle belongs to us, and all expenses related to its maintenance or breakdown have to be borne by us,” Singh shares.
Repair costs can become substantial during the rainy season, when waterlogged roads increase the likelihood of engine problems, punctures and mechanical wear. Even so, Singh believes the higher earning potential outweighs these additional expenses. “There is no mandatory working period. The more we work, the more we earn. It is as simple as that. On an average, we complete around 40 to 50 deliveries in a day,” he expresses.
The absence of compulsory working hours remains one of the biggest attractions of gig employment. Riders can choose when to start work, how long to remain online and when to take breaks.
For Mohit Verma, the decision to join the gig economy was driven primarily by the promise of better earnings. A resident of east Delhi, Verma spent several years working at a call centre in Noida before switching to gig work seven months ago. “The salary at the call centre was quite low, which is why I left the job. Compared to my previous work, the earnings here are better.
Sundays are usually the busiest days, and we also receive higher incentives. I rarely take leave on Sundays or during festivals because those are the days when we earn the most,” Verma said.
Yet, he acknowledges that the work becomes significantly more demanding during heavy rain. Riders spend hours navigating congested roads while trying to complete deliveries within the expected timelines. Even so, the prospect of higher payouts motivates many to continue working despite the physical strain.
Alternative income
The gig economy has also emerged as an alternative source of livelihood for people whose traditional businesses have slowed down.
Naushad Alam joined as a delivery partner just 15 days ago after witnessing a steady decline in his family’s bindi business. “I used to run a bindi shop, but demand reduced significantly over time,” Alam rues, adding, “I left the shop to my family members and joined as a delivery partner so that we could have a fixed income to support the household.”
Like many newcomers to the profession, Alam says the work has brought a different set of challenges. Heavy traffic, waterlogged roads and constant customer calls often add to the pressure of completing deliveries on time. But he is taking it in his stride. “Sometimes, we get delayed because of traffic or other unavoidable reasons.
Customers often call and ask us to reach quickly. When they see us arriving completely drenched in the rain, many also become understanding and even offer us tips to appreciate our effort. However, there are also some customers who get annoyed. That is something we have to deal with every day,” he said. His experience reflects the contrasting responses delivery partners receive from customers.
The harsh reality
Kuldeep, a delivery rider from north Delhi, points to the harsher realities of working during the monsoon. “Once I entered a flooded lane in one of the localities in Old Delhi. My bike got stuck in a pothole. It took me two hours to get it out. Due to heavy rains, no shops were open around me, and I had to take help from two rickshaw pullers,” he said.
The ordeal forced him to cancel the delivery. “Although I was not punished heavily, there was a minor fine imposed on me. The bike was also not working properly after remaining stuck in water for hours, and I eventually had to take it to a repair shop and get it fixed at my own expense,” he shares.
The safety net
Yet, behind these rain incentives lies an automated system designed to respond instantly to changing weather conditions. A quick commerce store manager in west Delhi said the company’s technology continuously monitors weather conditions and activates surge pricing whenever rainfall begins.
“We have a very strong IT system that detects rain the moment it starts anywhere and automatically triggers surge charges. But if there’s a technical glitch and the surge doesn’t apply, we simply record a 10-second video of the rain and upload it to our server. The system then adds the surge immediately. We always try to keep our delivery partners happy and satisfied, because that improves their efficiency,” the manager said.
The system ensures that additional payments begin almost immediately after rainfall starts, helping companies retain enough delivery partners online during periods when customer demand rises sharply. However, gig worker associations and leaders from the sector caution that higher payouts should not be mistaken for comprehensive protection.
According to a Delhi-based leader of a gig workers’ union, who refused to be named, rain incentives provide short-term financial benefits but do not fully compensate riders for the long-term costs and risks associated with working in hazardous weather. “Rain incentives are certainly liked by workers because they increase daily earnings. But they should not be viewed as compensation for the risks riders take every day during monsoon,” he stresses.
“Delivery partners continue to bear the cost of damaged vehicles, fuel, lost workdays after accidents and health issues arising from prolonged exposure to rain. Platforms benefit from increased demand during monsoon, but most of the operational risks are still borne by workers,” he complains. He further calls for weather-risk allowances, faster accident claim mechanisms and stronger workplace protections for the riders.
“Flexible working hours have transformed employment for many people, but flexibility should not come at the cost of safety,” another member of the gig workers’ union notes.
“Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. Delivery platforms need to recognise weather as an occupational risk and introduce safeguards that protect workers while ensuring they do not lose income because of circumstances beyond their control,” he said.
The incentive model, however, reflects the underlying economics of quick commerce. Rain often keeps customers indoors, increasing demand for home deliveries of groceries, medicines and restaurant meals. To meet this surge, platforms offer higher payouts to ensure enough riders remain available despite deteriorating road conditions.
As Delhi continues to witness frequent spells of monsoon rain, food and grocery deliveries are likely to remain in high demand. For customers, an order arriving at the doorstep may simply be another convenience. For the rider carrying it through flooded streets, however, it represents another calculated decision to work through difficult conditions in pursuit of a better day’s earnings.