Zomato delivery agent eats customer's food after dispute over doorstep delivery at 2.30 am, video goes viral | Watch

A video showing a Zomato delivery agent identified as Ankur Thakur eating a customer’s order after a disagreement over doorstep delivery has gone viral, triggering a wider conversation on the pressures and expectations faced by app-based delivery workers in India.

In the clip, the delivery agent explains that he asked the customer to come downstairs to collect the order, which reportedly led to an argument. According to the agent, the customer insisted that the food be delivered upstairs or the order be cancelled. Eventually, the delivery did not go through, and the agent is seen consuming the food himself — a moment that quickly spread across social media platforms.

The now-viral video has gathered over 1.2 million views on Instagram and the clip has divided opinion online. While some users argued that doorstep delivery is part of the service customers pay for, others questioned whether such expectations ignore the realities and risks faced by delivery workers.

Watch the viral video here:

One user wrote that customers pay delivery, night and convenience charges and therefore should not be expected to step out. Another commented that “door-to-door service” means the delivery agent must reach the customer’s doorstep. Some users, however, accused delivery agents of deliberately cancelling orders to keep the food, while others took a more balanced view, saying context matters — especially whether clear instructions were given and whether it is reasonable to expect customers to come downstairs in certain situations.

The debate comes at a time when concerns around delivery partner safety are already under scrutiny. Earlier today, several major quick-commerce platforms, including Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy, reportedly dropped their “10-minute delivery” claims following discussions with Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

According to multiple reports, the minister urged companies to move away from rigid delivery-time promises, warning that aggressive timelines place undue pressure on riders and could compromise their safety. The companies are said to have assured the government that delivery-time commitments would be removed from advertisements and promotional material.

Together, the viral video and the policy shift have reignited questions around customer expectations, worker safety and how India’s fast-growing food and quick-commerce ecosystem balances convenience with fairness.

(This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)