{
  "id": 8031328,
  "title": "Zomato, Blinkit Help 2.10 Lakh Partners File ITR, ₹33.6 Crore Refunds Unlocked",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/zomato-blinkit-help-2-10-lakh-partners-file-itr-33-6-crore-refunds",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-17T12:40:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/zomato-blinkit-help-210-lakh-partners-file-itr-336-crore-refunds-unlocked"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai: Eternal, the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, announced that their delivery partners have collectively filed 2.10 lakh income tax returns for the fiscal year 2025-26, unlocking refunds amounting to Rs 33.6 crore. Roughly 75 percent of these applicants were first-time filers, highlighting the importance of the initiative in integrating gig workers into the formal financial system. On average, each delivery partner received a refund of around Rs 1,600. The tax deducted at source was at a rate of 1 percent. Zomato CEO Aditya Mangla emphasized that many delivery partners were experiencing formal financial services for the first time, making the process useful and accessible while improving their financial security. The tax-filing facility was offered at a subsidized rate through a third-party service provider, with the process being digital and self-service via the Zomato or Blinkit Delivery Partner App. Both apps feature a chatbot for instant assistance and a helpline for partners needing further clarification. The tax-filing program is part of a broader set of initiatives aimed at enhancing the financial and social well-being of delivery partners, which also includes healthcare cover, insurance, maternity benefits, and paid period rest days for women delivery partners. Financial tools provided under the gig-worker variant of the National Pension System include fixed deposits, recurring deposits, and pension accounts. Eternal, founded in 2008, operates Zomato, Blinkit, District, and Hyperpure, positioning itself as India's largest new-age technology company by market capitalization and the first technology firm to enter the 30-share BSE Sensex.",
  "summary": "Mumbai: Zomato and Blinkit have helped more than 2.10 lakh delivery partners file income tax returns for FY25-26, facilitating refunds totalling Rs 33.6 crore, parent company Eternal said Thursday. Around 75 percent of the applicants were filing returns for the first time, underlining the initiative’s role in bringing gig workers into the formal financial system. Each delivery partner received an…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}