New Delhi, Jan. 7 -- On New Year's Eve, India woke up to gig workers logging off en masse, turning a day of celebration into a flashpoint over wages, incentives and the true cost of app-based work.

The strike finally failed to really take off, as many riders chose to work after Swiggy and Zomato rolled out special incentives. Zomato offered peak-hour payouts of Rs.120- Rs.150 per order and waived penalties for refusals and cancellations, enabling riders to earn up to Rs.3,000 in a day, according to a letter reviewed by Mint. Swiggy, on its part, had dangled incentives of up to Rs.10,000 for 31 December-1 January, with peak-hour earnings touching Rs.2,000, its communication to partners showed.

The strike, however, did manage to rake up a...