How the 10-minute promise is shaping the future of Indian consumers

“Kuch bhi, kahin bhi, abhi" (Anything, anywhere, now) — this isn't just a catchy slogan; it's the new reality of urban India. In a tenth-floor apartment in Bengaluru, a resident urgently needs fresh vegetables and milk for breakfast. In Delhi's Connaught Place, a child working on a school project realises he needs a notebook and chart paper late at night. In Mumbai's corporate districts, an office worker rushes to order new earbuds before a client meeting because his existing ones aren’t working. Whether it’s essential groceries, school stationery, or personal accessories, within moments of tapping phones, a complex symphony of technology, logistics, and human effort springs into action. Welcome to India's quick commerce revolution, where the gap between desire and fulfilment has shrunk to mere minutes.

The potential of India's quick commerce market is immense. According to Statista, the sector is projected to generate revenue of $5.384 billion in 2025. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.07% from 2025 to 2029, the market is expected to reach a volume of $9.771 billion by 2029. By the same year, the number of users in India's quick commerce market is anticipated to grow to 60.6 million which was 26.2 million users in 2024. But behind these staggering numbers lies a complex web of logistics innovation, technological advancement, and fierce competition that's transforming not just how Indians shop, but how cities function.

Why India became quick commerce's promised land

India's quick commerce boom is no coincidence. It emerged from a confluence of factors that created the ideal environment for this revolution. One key driver is India's widespread smartphone adoption. According to 2024 data from Statista, the country now has 700.58 million smartphone users. Second, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online shopping across all age groups. Third, India's dense urban geography, with millions living in compact neighbourhoods, made rapid delivery logistics feasible.

What makes India's market particularly compelling for quick commerce is the unique combination of urban density and digital adoption. In major metros, thousands of potential customers live within a three-kilometre radius of any given point, creating the critical mass necessary for efficient operations. However, these same advantages come with distinct challenges. Narrow streets, inconsistent address systems, and varying infrastructure quality across neighbourhoods require companies to develop India-specific solutions rather than simply importing global models.

How 10-minute delivery actually works

At the heart of quick commerce's success lies a reimagining of traditional logistics. The conventional hub-and-spoke model has been replaced by a network of dark stores. A 'dark store' is a retail fulfilment centre or warehouse that operates like a traditional store but is not open to the public. It is designed specifically for online orders, acting as a hub for picking, packing, and dispatching goods for delivery.

These dark stores are strategically located every 2-3 kilometres in urban areas. Typically ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet in size, they stock between 1,500 and 5,000 high-frequency items based on hyper-local demand patterns.

According to the latest data, top quick-commerce platforms such as Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, and Zepto operate a combined total of around 2,000 dark stores across key cities in India.

The technology driving this system is equally sophisticated. Machine learning algorithms predict demand patterns at the neighbourhood level, while AI-powered, GPS-enabled routing systems optimise delivery paths in real time.

Roadcast, an Indian logistics tech company, offers a platform to optimise delivery operations. Rahul Mehra, Co-founder, highlights how the platform supports dark store management, “Roadcast supports dark store management, optimising operations through inventory integration, automated order processing, and seamless dispatch coordination. By offering real-time updates and predictive analytics, the platform helps businesses maintain inventory levels and reduce turnaround times.”

Leading platforms report that their dark stores can process an order within seconds to a few minutes of receipt, with delivery partners completing the last mile in under 10 minutes.

Siwanshu Mishra, Area Head of Jharkhand at Blinkit, where the company started its operations last year mentions that “the average order preparation time, from picking the product in the dark store to handing it over to the delivery personnel, is about 2 minutes.”

“Roadcast’s platform ensures rapid delivery times for quick commerce businesses by providing real-time visibility, route optimisation, and predictive analytics.”
Rahul Mehra, Roadcast

The key players driving quick commerce in India

India's quick commerce market is dominated by several key players, each with a unique approach. Zepto, founded in 2021, has grown rapidly, securing significant funding through its exclusive focus on the quick commerce model. The company reportedly operates over 300 dark stores across India and plans to file for an initial public offering (IPO) in early 2025. Co-founder Aadit Palicha has also announced plans to expand Zepto's operations to more than 50 cities.

The company also has plans to launch a dedicated app for Zepto Café, focusing on the quick delivery of snacks and other food products.

Blinkit (formerly Grofers), acquired by Zomato, leverages its parent company's extensive delivery network and restaurant partnerships to offer both groceries and ready-to-eat meals. The acquisition created one of India's largest quick commerce networks. Zomato has recently invested ₹500 crore into Blinkit.

The company is also expanding its electronics range to include laptops, monitors, and printers, all delivered within 10 minutes. However, this service is currently available only in cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Lucknow.

Similar to Zepto Café, Blinkit has launched Bistro, a new food delivery app. However, Albinder Dhindsa, founder of Blinkit, announced on Twitter that this service is currently live in select locations in Gurugram to evaluate its product market fit.

Taking it a step further, the company has recently launched an innovative ambulance service in Gurugram, providing emergency assistance within 10 minutes.

Swiggy Instamart has recently announced its expansion to over 75 cities and will soon launch a separate standalone app.

BigBasket, owned by Tata Digital, has also emerged as a prominent online quick commerce platform in India. The company, which rebranded its quick commerce service as BBNow, is expected to launch the service in the next three to four months.

The infrastructure challenge

Despite the sector's rapid growth, infrastructure remains the most significant hurdle in India's quick commerce landscape. While technology and consumer adoption have surged forward, the physical challenges of Indian cities continue to test even the most sophisticated delivery networks. Poor road conditions in many areas slow down delivery speeds, while unclear or non-standardised addressing systems make last-mile navigation complex. Traffic congestion in urban cores can turn a theoretical 10-minute delivery window into an unpredictable challenge, especially during peak hours.

Companies are responding with innovative solutions. Many are investing in sophisticated address mapping systems that can pinpoint locations even in areas without formal addresses. Others are experimenting with micro-fulfilment centres in residential complexes and using electric vehicles for last-mile delivery to navigate traffic-congested areas more efficiently.

“Roadcast’s platform ensures rapid delivery times for quick commerce businesses by providing real-time visibility, route optimisation, and predictive analytics. These features streamline the logistics process, minimising delays and ensuring efficient delivery. Our platform facilitated over a million plus global deliveries and supported over two million plus vehicles with real-time visibility. For example, dynamic route adjustments ensure drivers avoid traffic congestion, cutting delivery times significantly,” says Mehra of Roadcast.

“Quick commerce's future is about speed, convenience, and sustainability. With rising technologies like AI, robotics, and autonomous delivery systems, logistics is set for a significant transformation.”
Ravi Goel, RapidShyp

“Fluctuating demand patterns, influenced by festive surges and location-specific needs, challenge logistics planning and resource allocation,” says Ravi Goel, CBO of RapidShyp, a full-stack eCommerce shipping platform that helps D2C brands and sellers streamline and manage their shipping operations through a unified solution.

“To reduce delivery failures, we offer automated address validation and real-time tracking, improving first-attempt success rates and providing customers with proactive notifications. Bulk order processing and streamlined order management help businesses handle high delivery volumes seamlessly.”

The human element: Delivery partners and working conditions

The rapid growth of quick commerce has created thousands of jobs, but it has also raised concerns about working conditions and delivery partner safety. The pressure to maintain rapid delivery times while navigating busy streets has led to accidents and public criticism.

Leading platforms have responded by implementing comprehensive safety programmes and insurance coverage for delivery partners. Many have also introduced dynamic timing systems that adjust delivery promises based on weather conditions and traffic patterns, prioritising safety over speed.

"Blinkit provides health insurance to each delivery partner. For us, the safety of our delivery partners is of utmost importance,” says Mishra of Blinkit.

Environmental impact and sustainability

The environmental impact of quick commerce is multifaceted. The rapid growth of dark stores and frequent delivery runs has sparked concerns about carbon emissions and packaging waste.

Companies are placing greater emphasis on sustainability initiatives, with major players like Blinkit and Zepto committing to a shift towards electric delivery vehicles. While electric vehicles have already been introduced for many deliveries in tier one metropolitan cities, the goal is to fully transition to electric vehicle deliveries.

Blinkit has recently launched a fleet of all-electric vehicles in Delhi and Gurugram. This new fleet is specifically designed to handle large orders, such as electronics and party essentials.

“With growing awareness about climate change, quick commerce platforms will adopt more eco-friendly practices, such as carbon-neutral deliveries and reusable packaging,” says Goel of RapidShyp.

The future: Beyond 10-minute delivery

As the sector matures, the focus is shifting from pure speed to sustainable growth and profitability. Innovation continues at a rapid pace. Companies are exploring automated micro-fulfilment centres, drone deliveries for suburban areas, and integrated inventory management systems that connect dark stores with traditional retail outlets.

Quick commerce is reshaping not just delivery logistics but the entire retail ecosystem. Traditional retailers are adapting by partnering with quick commerce platforms or developing their own rapid delivery capabilities. The line between e-commerce, quick commerce, and traditional retail is increasingly blurring.

Multinational e-commerce giant Amazon is reportedly planning to launch its quick commerce service, Tez, in India. Amazon has also started testing its quick commerce delivery service with employees in select Bengaluru pincodes.

Meanwhile, Flipkart has already entered the quick commerce race with its service, Minutes.

Moreover, the sector is influencing consumer behaviour in unexpected ways. The availability of instant delivery is changing how people plan their purchases and manage their time. For many urban Indians, the corner store is no longer a physical location but an app on their phone.

As the dust settles on the initial gold rush, what's emerging is a more mature, nuanced approach to rapid delivery, one that balances speed with sustainability, growth with profitability, and innovation with responsibility. In this evolving landscape, the winners will likely be those who can deliver not just quickly, but smartly and sustainably.