Amazon has launched 10-minute deliveries in Delhi, intensifying the battle for dominance in India’s booming quick commerce (q-commerce) market. The move expands Amazon’s “Now” service beyond Bengaluru, where it debuted in December, as the e-commerce giant responds to rising consumer demand for instant delivery.
“We are excited with the initial customer response and positive feedback,” Amazon said in a statement, as per a Bloomberg report. “Based on this, we’re now expanding the service over the next few months," it said.
With this step, Amazon joins rivals Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto, which have driven a dramatic shift in how urban Indian consumers shop online. From groceries and gadgets to apparel and electronics, platforms are now promising doorstep delivery within minutes.
Q-commerce’s growing footprint
India's transition from traditional e-commerce to quick commerce marks one of the most rapid consumer shifts in retail. A joint report by Bain & Co. and Flipkart shows that quick commerce now accounts for over two-thirds of all e-grocery orders and nearly 10% of total e-retail sales.
As customer expectations evolve, Flipkart and Amazon—both historically associated with next-day or two-day delivery—have launched their own q-commerce services to retain market share. Flipkart’s “Minutes” now operates across 14 Indian cities.
“Indian q-commerce players have bucked global trends and scaled profitably,” the report noted. “India’s unique advantages—high population density and a network of low-rent dark stores—have made this possible.” The sector is projected to grow at over 40% annually through 2030.
Beyond Groceries: New categories, new battles
Originally focused on groceries, q-commerce players are now branching into other categories. Around 15–20% of gross merchandise value (GMV) now comes from products like mobile phones, electronics, fashion and personal care items.
Swiggy Instamart has begun delivering smartphones in 10 cities. Blinkit and Zepto have expanded into consumer electronics and home appliances. Blinkit’s CEO recently announced plans to add air-conditioners to its inventory, while Tata Digital-backed BigBasket is preparing to list coolers and fans for the season.
Rising costs, marketing wars
With competition intensifying, platforms are spending more to attract users. Executives say customer acquisition costs have doubled from Rs 400–Rs 450 to Rs 800 per user. Swiggy is promoting its standalone Instamart app, Zepto is marketing its Café brand, and Blinkit is ramping up its presence in new regions.
Despite rapid expansion, profitability remains a challenge. Blinkit’s gross order value (GOV) rose 134% year-on-year in the January–March quarter, but the company posted a loss of Rs 178 crore. Instamart’s operating loss widened to Rs 840 crore during the same period due to aggressive dark store expansion.
Who’s gaining ground?
Blinkit and Instamart gained market share in the April–June quarter, according to ICICI Securities. Blinkit’s GOV is expected to have grown over 25% quarter-on-quarter, while Instamart saw a 22% increase. The sector as a whole grew under 20% during the period.
The gains come amid a slowdown for Zepto, whose daily active users fell from 5.5 million in December 2024 to 4.9 million in June 2025, while Blinkit’s users rose to 6.2 million. Instamart's new app reached 1.1 million daily users in June. Analysts attribute Zepto’s user drop to customer concerns over pricing and service quality.
Jobs and infrastructure boom
According to TeamLease Services, the sector currently employs 2.5–3 lakh delivery riders and around 75,000 warehouse and store workers. By mid-2026, this figure is expected to cross 5–5.5 lakh as q-commerce expands to new cities and product segments.
“India’s q-commerce market is growing at an unprecedented rate and is likely to touch $5 billion by 2025,” said Balasubramanian A, Senior VP, TeamLease Services.
From just $100 million in 2020, India’s q-commerce sector surged past $6 billion in 2024, according to Datum Intelligence—signaling a fundamental transformation in the way India shops online.
(With inputs from agencies)
“We are excited with the initial customer response and positive feedback,” Amazon said in a statement, as per a Bloomberg report. “Based on this, we’re now expanding the service over the next few months," it said.
With this step, Amazon joins rivals Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto, which have driven a dramatic shift in how urban Indian consumers shop online. From groceries and gadgets to apparel and electronics, platforms are now promising doorstep delivery within minutes.
Q-commerce’s growing footprint
India's transition from traditional e-commerce to quick commerce marks one of the most rapid consumer shifts in retail. A joint report by Bain & Co. and Flipkart shows that quick commerce now accounts for over two-thirds of all e-grocery orders and nearly 10% of total e-retail sales.
As customer expectations evolve, Flipkart and Amazon—both historically associated with next-day or two-day delivery—have launched their own q-commerce services to retain market share. Flipkart’s “Minutes” now operates across 14 Indian cities.
“Indian q-commerce players have bucked global trends and scaled profitably,” the report noted. “India’s unique advantages—high population density and a network of low-rent dark stores—have made this possible.” The sector is projected to grow at over 40% annually through 2030.
Beyond Groceries: New categories, new battles
Originally focused on groceries, q-commerce players are now branching into other categories. Around 15–20% of gross merchandise value (GMV) now comes from products like mobile phones, electronics, fashion and personal care items.
Swiggy Instamart has begun delivering smartphones in 10 cities. Blinkit and Zepto have expanded into consumer electronics and home appliances. Blinkit’s CEO recently announced plans to add air-conditioners to its inventory, while Tata Digital-backed BigBasket is preparing to list coolers and fans for the season.
Rising costs, marketing wars
With competition intensifying, platforms are spending more to attract users. Executives say customer acquisition costs have doubled from Rs 400–Rs 450 to Rs 800 per user. Swiggy is promoting its standalone Instamart app, Zepto is marketing its Café brand, and Blinkit is ramping up its presence in new regions.
Despite rapid expansion, profitability remains a challenge. Blinkit’s gross order value (GOV) rose 134% year-on-year in the January–March quarter, but the company posted a loss of Rs 178 crore. Instamart’s operating loss widened to Rs 840 crore during the same period due to aggressive dark store expansion.
Who’s gaining ground?
Blinkit and Instamart gained market share in the April–June quarter, according to ICICI Securities. Blinkit’s GOV is expected to have grown over 25% quarter-on-quarter, while Instamart saw a 22% increase. The sector as a whole grew under 20% during the period.
The gains come amid a slowdown for Zepto, whose daily active users fell from 5.5 million in December 2024 to 4.9 million in June 2025, while Blinkit’s users rose to 6.2 million. Instamart's new app reached 1.1 million daily users in June. Analysts attribute Zepto’s user drop to customer concerns over pricing and service quality.
Jobs and infrastructure boom
According to TeamLease Services, the sector currently employs 2.5–3 lakh delivery riders and around 75,000 warehouse and store workers. By mid-2026, this figure is expected to cross 5–5.5 lakh as q-commerce expands to new cities and product segments.
“India’s q-commerce market is growing at an unprecedented rate and is likely to touch $5 billion by 2025,” said Balasubramanian A, Senior VP, TeamLease Services.
From just $100 million in 2020, India’s q-commerce sector surged past $6 billion in 2024, according to Datum Intelligence—signaling a fundamental transformation in the way India shops online.
(With inputs from agencies)
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