Preparations for New Year celebrations are going on in cities and villages across the country including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. In cities big and small, from homes and offices to picnic spots, party and celebration preparations often depend on online delivery of food and groceries. Whether you feel like eating burgers, pizza, pasta, paneer lababdar, or chicken chow mein, you just pick up your phone and order from Zomato or Swiggy, and your order arrives within minutes. If you want to make something at home, you order groceries from Zepto, Blinkit, Big Basket, or Instamart, and the goods arrive within minutes. But this time it will not be so easy, because the gig workers who deliver your orders on all these online platforms are on a nationwide strike.
Especially on New Year’s Eve, December 31, there is a surge in orders on platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Zepto and BigBasket, but today, Wednesday, December 31, 2025, a nationwide strike by gig workers may bring everything to a halt. If you ordered a gift for your family, friends, or someone special, and delivery was scheduled for December 31, it may not arrive on time. This is because delivery boys (gig workers) associated with big platforms like Flipkart and Amazon are also involved in this strike.
So, what can you do?
First of all, don’t panic. In Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, Bengaluru, or any city, there will definitely be grocery stores in your neighbourhood. Many of these shops provide home delivery facility. Their delivery boys are their own employees, which means they will not be affected by the gig worker strike. All you have to do is make a list of 2-4 such shops in your area which provide home delivery facility. Note down their contact numbers. Write the number next to the name of the shop in your list. You can also save the number in your mobile phone.
How to order food and drinks?
The formula is the same. There will be many restaurants and hotels within a radius of 1-2 kilometers of your area. Find out which ones offer home delivery. Note down their numbers and collect menu cards from each place. Then, more than half of your worries will be gone. You can order your favorite food items sitting at home, and within minutes you can enjoy the delicious ordered items with your loved ones.
By using WhatsApp service
Many grocery stores and restaurants in your area that offer home delivery also have WhatsApp numbers for online ordering. You can save their numbers in your mobile phone. Sagar Verma, who runs a grocery store in Noida Sector 15 Society, said that you have to type the menu and your order on WhatsApp, provide your correct home address, and the store’s delivery person will come to your doorstep with the goods within no time. Similarly, grocery stores and restaurants provide this service in almost every society.
Note this important number
If you are new to the city, or have recently shifted to a new society or locality, and you don’t know about the grocery stores, shops, hotels or restaurants in your area, don’t worry. You must have heard about JustDial. Just call JustDial for help. The number is: 088888 88888 (JustDial Customer Care). When the call is picked up, you need to tell them about your area and ask about kirana stores, shops, hotels or restaurants that offer home delivery. You will be given their contact numbers. Voila, all your worries are gone! So just relax and celebrate the new year.