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France's government is planning to impose a ban on Chinese fast-fashion platforms Shein and Temu advertisements. According to media reports, the upper house of France's Parliament, the Senate, has unanimously voted in favor of the revised law which aims to reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry.

Additionally, the amended bill would impose sanctions on influencers who promote such products and ban fast fashion advertisements.

Environmental experts have pointed out that low-priced garments produced by fast-fashion chains lead to excessive consumption and waste, causing damage to the environment.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/shein-hit-with-eu-complaint-over-dark-patterns-in-app-website-68964.htm">Shein hit with EU complaint over dark patterns in app, website</a>

Last year, French Parliament's lower house, the National Assembly adopted the bill, but the Senate passed it with 337 votes and only one against it.

However, the amended bill has made a distinction between "ultra" fast fashion and "classic" fast fashion, therefore keeping off European fast-fashion players like Zara, H&M, and Kiabi from the ban list.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/chinas-fast-fashion-company-shein-re-launched-in-india-after-5-year-gap-55394.htm">China’s fast fashion company Shein re-launched in India after 5 year gap</a>

A joint committee of senators and lower house deputies is expected to meet in September to produce likely to produce a joint text in September this year. Before the final adoption of the Bill, the European Commission will be notified.

'Fast Fashion in France'

According to the state environmental agency Ademe, France is witnessing a sharp surge in fast fashion. Nearly 50 clothing items are released into the French market each year and 35 are thrown away every second in the country.

A slew of brands are experiencing difficulties, such as Jemmyfer which went into liquidation this year, and NafNaf has been in receivership since May.

According to France 24, the bill will impose stricter sanctions on fast-fashion companies by scoring their "environmental communication. Companies with the lowest score will be taxed by the government up to five euros per product in 2025 and up to 10 euros by 2030.

Separately, Shein has been hit with complaints from the European Union's consumer group over dark patterns. According to a report by Reuters, the pan-European consumer organization BEUC has alleged that Shein is using different tactics to make people buy more on its website and application.

Shein responded by saying that it is working constructively with national consumer authorities and the EU Commission to demonstrate its commitment to complying with EU laws and regulations.

A total of 25 BEUC member organizations in 21 countries, including, France, Germany, Spain, etc have joined in the grievance filed with the EU and European consumer protection network.

France plans to ban ads for Chinese fast fashion giants Shein, Temu

The Delhi High Court has granted interim relief to fast-food chain Burger Singh, restraining a former franchisee in Patna from using its brand name following alleged contract violations and unauthorised brand use.

In the case Tipping Mr Pink Pvt Ltd v. Dr Prabhat Ranjan, Justice Jyoti Singh ruled that a prima facie case had been made for the grant of an ex parte injunction. The court directed the respondent to immediately stop using the 'Burger Singh' mark or any deceptively similar name for its goods and services.

Burger Singh, which has been operating under the brand since 2013, entered into a five-year franchise agreement with the Patna-based respondent in 2023. However, the company alleged that the outlet breached several terms of the agreement — including using expired food items, failing to pay for raw materials, and disconnecting CCTV surveillance. The agreement was terminated in May 2025.

Despite the termination, the Patna outlet allegedly continued using the Burger Singh name and brand assets. The High Court viewed this as unauthorised use that could mislead customers and amount to passing off.

Additionally, the Court appointed a local commissioner to visit the disputed outlet and seize infringing materials such as hoardings, posters, manuals, catalogues, and letterheads. The commissioner is required to submit a report within two weeks of the order.

Advocate Jayant Kumar appeared on behalf of Burger Singh. The matter will be heard next on a date yet to be fixed.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/bombay-hc-denies-tiktoks-plea-for-well-known-trademark-status-70059.htm">Read More: Bombay HC denies TikTok's plea for 'well-known' trademark status </a>

Burger Singh gets interim relief in trademark dispute against ex-franchisee

The Bombay High Court has upheld the Trade Marks Registrars' decision to deny inclusion of TikTok in India's official list of "well-known" trademarks, citing the Government of India's ban on the app over national security concerns as a relevant and justified factor, according to media reports.

The Court found no fault with the Registrar's reliance on the government ban while evaluating TikTok's application under Rule 124 of the Trade Marks Rules, 2017. “These are serious matters, which cannot be ignored,” the Court observed, referring to the government's ban citing threats to India's sovereignty and integrity, national defence, and public order.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/meta-and-tiktok-challenge-supervisory-fee-in-major-eu-court-69865.htm">Meta and TikTok challenge supervisory fee in major EU court</a>

TikTok, which already holds a registered trade mark in India, had sought enhanced statutory protection under the "well-known" category - status that affords broader safeguards against infringement, the report added.

However, its application was denied by the Registrar on October 31, 2023, a decision TikTok subsequently challenged in the High Court. In its petition, TikTok argued that the Registrar's order was vitiated by non-application of mind and a legal error. The company contended that the Registrar mistakenly relied on Section 9 of the Trade Marks Act (which deals with absolute grounds for refusal of registration), when only Section 11 - covering recognition of well-known marks - was applicable.

The petitioner further claimed that the decision was based solely on press reports and official statements regarding the ban, without duly considering the statutory factors prescribed under Section 11(6) to (9). TikTok also cited Section 11(9), which clarifies that actual use or current operation in India is not a pre-requisite for a mark to be recognized as well-known.

The Court pointed out that the Registrar had appropriately considered official government actions under the Information Technology Act and allegations related to data misuse, morphed images, and cyberbullying, the report added. 

Moreover, the Court reiterated that Section 11(6) allows the Registrar to consider “any fact deemed relevant” in determining whether a mark qualifies as well-known. Granting enhanced protection to TikTok’s mark in light of the ongoing ban would be incongruous, the Court suggested.

“Since the said mark is already a registered trade mark in India, it does enjoy all statutory protection… but inclusion in the list of well known marks obviously gives added protection,” the Court observed.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/tiktok-fined-530-million-euros-by-eu-privacy-watchdogs-over-china-data-transfer-case-64285.htm">TikTok fined 530 million euros by EU privacy watchdogs over China data transfer case</a>

Given that the ban on TikTok remains in force and has not been overturned by any competent authority or court, the High Court concluded that the Registrar’s decision was legally sound. As a result, TikTok’s plea for “well-known” status was dismissed.

Bombay HC denies TikTok's plea for 'well-known' trademark status 

Tata Group’s retail enterprise Trent Limited has slashed its stake in Spanish fashion brands Zara and Massimo Dutti in India, according to the annual report.

Trent has two separate joint ventures with the Spanish fashion brands. Zara is managed by a JV called Inditex Trent Retail India Pvt ltd (ITRIPL), a collaboration between Spain's Inditex and Tata Group's retail arm Trent Ltd while premium brand Massimo Dutti operates under Massimo Dutti India Private Limited (MDIPL).

According to Trent's annual report, the Tata enterprise has pared its stake in ITRIPL from 49% to 34.94% by selling 1,40,000 equity shares through a buyback offer. On the other hand, it slashed stakes in MDIPL from 49% to 20% by selling 1,75,450 equity shares to Grupo Massimo Dutti, Spain.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/tatas-trent-accelerates-retail-expansions-adds-over-280-stores-for-westside-zudio-in-fy25-69970.htm">Tata's Trent accelerates retail expansions, adds over 280 stores for Westside, Zudio in FY25</a>

Zara India reported a flat growth in its sales in fiscal year 2025. However, the fashion brand reported a 23% rise in profit in FY25. According to Trent's annual report, the Zara entity recorded revenues of Rs 2,782 crore in FY25 compared to Rs 2,771 crore in FY24. The company's profit stood at Rs 243.84 crore in the same duration.

The total income of ITRIPL surged to Rs 2,839.50 crore as against its previous financial year’s total income of Rs 2,776.67 crore and total comprehensive income stood at Rs 299.47 crore as against its previous financial year’s total comprehensive income of Rs 243.56 crore.

Meanwhile, Spanish premium brand Massimo Dutti's India chain clocked a revenue of Rs 100 crore in FY25 compared to Rs 101 crore in the previous fiscal year. 

The entity for Zara currently operates 22 stores across 13 cities while Massimo Dutti operates 3 stores in India.

The total income of MDIPL increased to Rs 101.23 crore while comprehensive income stood at Rs 10.19 crore in FY25.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/tatas-trent-reports-128-52-decline-in-consolidated-profit-in-q4-fy25-63736.htm">Tata's Trent reports 56.24% decline in consolidated profit in Q4 FY25</a>

India's fashion and lifestyle sector is undergoing a transformative phase, propelled by digitalization, evolving consumer preferences, and increased global access and exposure. The market, valued at Rs 13 lakh crore in 2025, is projected to reach Rs 18 lakh crore by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 10–12%.

Trent has maintained that its partnership with Inditex is not a long-term strategic bet but is purely financial in nature. The Trent-Inditex JV was established in 2009 to launch Zara in India. Originally, Trent had a 49% stake in the lifestyle brand while Inditex had a 51% stake.

Trent Ltd is aggressively expanding physical stores of in-house lifestyle concepts- Zudio and Westside. The retail company opened more than 280 stores in Zudio and Westside combined in the fiscal year 2025.

As of March 2025, Zudio had 765 stores across 235 cities while Westside's store count has climbed to 248.

Tata's Trent pours out stake in Zara India, Massimo Dutti to boost own retail brands

Vijay Mallya, the embattled former liquor baron and founder of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, has once again stoked controversy over the long-running default saga.

In a recent podcast interview with Raj Shamani, Mallya claimed that Indian banks have recovered more than double the original debt owed by him - claims strongly contested by the lenders involved, as per media reports.

"The government of India, Ministry of Finance, has published a report, their annual report, in which they have acknowledged ₹14,100 crore recovered from me. The Union Finance Ministry has confirmed in writing that banks have recovered ₹14,100 crore from me against a DRT (debt recovery tribunal) judgment debt of ₹6,203 crore. Why the blatant discrimination?" Mallya questioned in the podcast interview.

The flamboyant businessman also rejected the popular portrayal of him as a "fugitive", arguing, "“I didn’t run away; I flew out of India on a pre-scheduled visit… I didn’t return for reasons I consider valid. But where is the ‘chor’ coming from?”

The Kingfisher Airlines account was declared a non-performing asset in December 2011. In June 2013, the DRT ruled that Mallya and his airline owed Rs 6,203.35 crore in principal and interest at 11.5%. Since then, interest and penalties have caused the dues to balloon to nearly Rs 17,800 crore, according to banking sources, the report added.

While the Ministry of Finance's FY25 annual report does note that assets worth Rs 14,131.6 crore have been attached and restored to banks in connection with the case, bank executives caution that the actual realised value of these recoveries is significantly lower - around Rs 10,800 crore.

A breakdown of these recoveries include:

- Kingfisher House, Goa - Rs 172 crore (2017)

- Kingfisher House, Mumbai - Rs 52.5 crore (2021)

- Shared in United Breweries and other assets

Banking executives, speaking on condition of anonymity, maintain that approximately Rs 6,900 crore is still owed and that Mallya's portrayal of the Rs 14,100 crore figure as "overpayment" is misleading. The Rs 14,100 crore reflects attached assets, not cash recovered or realised value, the report added.

Mallya, continues to insist that he was always willing to settle the dues in good faith. “Between 2012 and 2015, I made four different settlement offers to the banks... But the banks refused. I believe they were under political pressure to take a hard stance rather than work out a practical solution,” he said. “I gave my personal guarantee… Koyi chor kabhi apna personal guarantee deta hai kya?” Mallya added.

In February 2025, Mallya filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking a full accounting of recoveries and an interim stay on further recovery actions. The court has issued notices to 10 banks, including SBI and Punjab National Bank.

Meanwhile, Mallya's legal battle in the UK continues to go against him. In April 2025 the UK High Court upheld a bankruptcy order tied to his debt owed to the SBI-led banking consortium. Mallya had argued that sufficient recovery had already been made, but the UK court dismissed his appeal, the report added.

Where is the 'chori?' Vijay Mallya claims overpayment, but banks say otherwise

Trent Limited, a Tata Enterprise, heavily capitalized on its physical stores for fashion and lifestyle concepts and Zudio in the fiscal year 2025.

According to Trent's annual report, Westside added 40 new stores and consolidated 24 stores between April 20240-March 2025, bringing the total store count to 248 as of March 31. The total investment in a new Westside store leased and operated by the company was between Rs 8-9 crore across capital expenditure, deposits, and inventory.

While leveraging its offline store, Westside also boosted its online audience through its website, as well as, Tata Group-owned e-commerce platforms such as Tata CLiQ and Tata Neu. According to the annual report, online channels contributed around 6% to Westside's revenues in FY2025.

Westside's annual subscription programme, WestStyleClub, significantly aided its online revenue growth. The club, whose member base increased by 38% year-o-year to 16.4 million, accounted for 90% growth in Westside's online revenue share. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/tatas-trent-reports-128-52-decline-in-consolidated-profit-in-q4-fy25-63736.htm">Tata’s Trent reports 56.24% decline in consolidated profit in Q4 FY25</a>

In contrast, Zudio added 244 new stores and consolidated 24, with a store footprint of around 7,000-12,000 sq. ft in FY25. As of March 2025, Zudio had 765 stores across 235 cities, including stores co-located with Trent's food and grocery space called Star. Trent Ltd employed capital for a new Zudio store between Rs 3-4 crore in FY25.


In FY25, Zudio crossed a billion dollars in sales with lifestyle, and non-apparel accounting for over 20% of the revenues. Zudio growth was backed by brand-building visibility by expanding its presence in micro-markets, instead of heavy discounting and heavy marketing spending. The report mentioned that the lifestyle-to-grocery retail chain has stayed away from discounting and avoided active marketing spending. "We instead focus on being accessible and building a critical mass of presence to drive awareness".

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"Both Westside and Zudio now operate at scale and are witnessing strong volume-led growth across diverse categories. Operating from over 1,000 large-format fashion stores, we have engaged with more than 100 million customers," P. Venkatesalu, Trent's Managing Director said.

Overall Tata's Trent clocked a profit of Rs 1,534.41 crore in fiscal year 2025 compared to Rs 1,477.46 crore in FY24. Trent increased its advertisement and sales promotion expenditure by 44% to Rs 126.76 crore in FY25.

Tata's Trent accelerates retail expansions, adds over 280 stores for Westside, Zudio in FY25

Rajkot-headquartered Gopal Snacks Ltd launched a coordinated legal offensive against alleged counterfeiters, triggering a series of trademark and copyright infringement raids across Mumbai and Surat on Tuesday. As per the media reports, the crackdown followed an ex-parte order secured from the Bombay High Court, which allowed Gopal Snacks to take swift action without notifying the alleged offenders. 

The snack giant accused entities operating under the names ‘Gopendra’, ‘Shree Gopal’ and ‘Gops’ of using deceptively similar branding and packaging to piggyback on the popularity of the ‘Gopal’ trademark.

The legal battle is not just about names, it’s about the power of visual branding in a crowded marketplace. Gopal Snacks alleged that the imitation packaging was not only misleading consumers but also damaging its brand equity and market trust.

With court-appointed commissioners leading the charge and police support in place, enforcement teams conducted raids at five locations, four in Surat and one in Mumbai, in a single day. The operation resulted in the seizure of a large stockpile of counterfeit goods and packaging materials, reinforcing the scale and coordination of the alleged infringement.

According to D N Ahya and Company, the legal firm advising Gopal Snacks, the execution of these raids was critical to prevent the destruction or concealment of evidence.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/disney-and-universal-sue-ai-image-company-midjourney-over-copyright-infringement-69926.htm">Disney and Universal sue AI image company Midjourney over copyright infringement</a>

By acting preemptively through the Bombay High Court, Gopal Snacks has signalled to the broader industry that trademark protection is an integral part of business strategy, not just a legal formality.

A detailed report of the raids is expected to be submitted to the court within seven days. Legal proceedings are likely to follow, and if the court rules in favor of Gopal Snacks, it could set a strong precedent for similar cases involving deceptive branding and trade dress infringement.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/meesho-converts-to-public-entity-ahead-of-ipo-69953.htm">Meesho converts to public entity ahead of IPO</a>

Trademark wars heat up: Gopal Snacks cracks down on imitators in multi-city raids

Walt Disney Co. and Comcast's Universal filed a landmark copyright lawsuit against Midjourney, an AI-image generation firm, alleging rampant infringement by using iconic characters without permission, Reuters reported.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal district court in Los Angeles, claims Midjourney engaged in massive copyright violations, illegally replicating beloved characters such as Darth Vader from Star Wars, Elsa from Frozen, and Minions from Despicable Me.

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The studios argue the San-Francisco-based startup used their intellectual property to train its AI software, generating and monetizing images through a subscription service.

Horacio Gutierrez, Disney's executive vice-president and chief legal officer, said in the report, "We are bullish on the promise of AI technology and optimistic about how it can be used responsibly as a tool to further human creativity, but piracy is piracy, and the fact that it's done by an AI company does not make it any less infringing."

NBCUniversal's General Counsel, Kim Harris, added in the report, "We're suing to protect the hard work of all the artists whose creations entertain and inspire us, and the significant investment we make in our content."

The lawsuit alleges Midjourney ignored repeated requests from the studios to cease infringement and continued to introduce upgraded versions of its software, deliberately improving the quality of infringing images, the report added.

Examples presented in court include images of Bart Simpson skateboarding, Marvel's Iron Man in flight, Pixar's Buzz Lightyear soaring, DreamWorks' Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek, and Po from Kung Fu Panda.

Describing Midjourney's activities as "a bottomless pit of plagiarism," the lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to halt further infringement, along with unspecified damages.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/delhi-court-issues-notice-to-mohak-mangal-and-google-in-fresh-ani-case-69475.htm">Delhi Court issues notice to Mohak Mangal and Google in fresh ANI case</a>

The Motion Picture Association backed the lawsuit, with Chairman Charles Rivkin asserting that "strong copyright protection is the backbone of our industry," urging AI companis to responsibly respect intellectual property.

Midjourney, founded by David Holz in 2021, generated approximately $300 million in revenue last year, largely through paid subscriptions. 

Holz previously admitted in an interview with Forbes that the company's extensive image database was built through "a big scrape of the internet," acknowledging no practical method existed to track permissions for hundreds of millions of images, the report added.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/eminems-eight-mile-style-sues-meta-for-109-mn-over-alleged-copyright-infringement-69025.htm">Eminem's Eight Mile Style sues Meta for $109 mn over alleged copyright infringement</a>

Disney and Universal sue AI image company Midjourney over copyright infringement

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has declined to stay the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) order penalizing UFO Moviez India and Qube Cinema Technologies for anti-competitive practices.

A three-member bench of the NCLAT ruled that the “balance of convenience” and a “prima facie” case lay in favour of the CCI, citing the concurrence between the commission’s findings and the detailed investigation conducted by its Director General.

“Given the circumstances, we are of the considered opinion that the facts do not warrant the grant of stay of the impugned order,” the bench stated, according to a PTI report.

The case revolves around the supply of digital cinema equipment to theatre owners, an area where UFO Moviez and Qube have considerable market control. In April, the CCI had slapped a penalty of ₹1.04 crore on UFO Moviez and its subsidiary Scrabble Digital, and ₹1.66 crore on Qube Cinema, after finding both companies guilty of creating unfair barriers for other post-production service providers.

UFO and Qube had moved the NCLAT seeking a stay on the order, but were instead directed to deposit 25% of the penalty amount within two weeks. The tribunal noted that while interim relief is denied, the companies are free to continue with their appeals. The next hearing is scheduled for August 1.

The CCI had earlier flagged several restrictive clauses in the lease agreements of UFO and Qube. These allegedly prevented cinema theatre owners (CTOs) from using equipment to play content provided by rival service providers unless an additional ₹20,000 was paid — and even then, only in cases where UFO or Qube failed to provide the content themselves.

This setup, the CCI concluded, not only limited the freedom of CTOs but also blocked third-party content delivery systems, particularly the use of Key Delivery Messages (KDMs) from outside post-production providers. The tribunal noted that such restrictive practices are not common in international markets.

Furthermore, the NCLAT observed that the terms effectively forced CTOs to refuse content from producers who hadn't used the services of Scrabble Digital, a subsidiary of UFO, thereby violating Section 3(4)(d) of the Competition Act, which prohibits exclusive dealing arrangements that limit market access for competitors.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/quick-commerce-boom-faces-backlash-over-food-safety-failures-69885.htm">Read More: Quick commerce boom faces backlash over food safety failures</a>

NCLAT refuses to stay CCI penalty against UFO Moviez and Qube Cinema

As India’s quick commerce industry surges ahead, driven by a digitally connected population and a mounting appetite for speed and convenience, a growing chorus of concern is beginning to cloud its glossy ascent. At the heart of the controversy: troubling lapses in food safety standards.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/gig-worker-attrition-hits-e-comm-quickcomm-platforms-31-of-employers-lament-voluntary-exits-67892.htm">Quick commerce faces high attrition challenge of gig workforce: TeamLease</a>

In a high-profile regulatory crackdown, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra suspended operations at several “dark stores” run by leading platforms Zepto and Blinkit, citing poor hygienic conditions, substandard cold storage monitoring, and staff operating without protective gear. The action comes amid a broader investigation into safety violations across the industry’s rapidly expanding network of fulfillment hubs.

What began as isolated complaints is now snowballing into a reputational crisis for the sector, raising urgent questions about the cost of India’s delivery revolution.

“This is not just a blip—it’s a systemic failure,” said Mohit Hira, co-founder of Myriad Communications and venture partner at YourNest. “Quick commerce platforms are leveraging tech to scale at speed, but in doing so, many are circumventing basic food safety norms. In a hyper-connected world, one violation can spark a trust deficit that’s hard to reverse.”

Indeed, violations are stacking up. Last year, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued warnings to state regulators over the sale of near-expiry products via quick commerce platforms. Unscheduled national inspections may follow as regulatory scrutiny deepens.

Consumers have begun voicing frustrations online. In one widely shared LinkedIn post, Hyundai Motor India’s Lalit Devnani recounted receiving an expired ice cream tub from Zepto. The company refunded the product, but did not reimburse taxes and handling fees, he noted. Meanwhile, Bharat Jain, a principal at EFESO Management Consultants, detailed receiving expired dosa batter not once, but thrice, from Swiggy Instamart. “They acknowledged it. They apologized. They even replaced it. But the problem keeps recurring,” he said.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/quick-commerce-disrupts-indias-grocery-industry-kirana-stores-hit-hard-kearney-68991.htm">Quick commerce disrupts India's grocery industry, kirana stores hit hard: Kearney</a>

Such incidents have emboldened critics who say the industry is trading consumer safety for operational speed. “Brands are definitely prioritising convenience and profit over food safety,” said Saurabh Parmar, Fractional Chief Growth Officer said. “I don't think it comes from a deliberate effort to undermine food safety, but just that it's such a competitive space, government regulations for dark stores are not clearly defined," he added.

The numbers underscore the sector’s explosive growth. Quick commerce companies in India operated approximately 1,800 dark stores in FY24. That figure is projected to triple to 5,500 by FY26, according to HSBC Global Research.

But scale may be outpacing oversight.

A recent complaint by a Shiprocket employee exposed price inconsistencies on Blinkit, where the same product listed at different maximum retail prices depending on the user’s location. Blinkit attributed the issue to a technical glitch under investigation.

Further complicating the picture, the All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has alleged that some platforms are dumping near-expiry or slow-moving inventory through deep discounting tactics. The Competition Commission of India has requested formal evidence.

Brand experts say these developments risk eroding the very foundation on which quick commerce rests: consumer trust.

“Quick commerce brands are chasing quick turnover, but in doing so, they may be taking shortcuts that are anything but clean,” said Harish Bijoor, a business and brand strategy specialist. “Food safety isn’t optional—it’s existential.”

Recent industry reports signal massive upside. A Chryseum study projects India’s quick commerce market will triple in value from $3.34 billion in 2024 to nearly $10 billion by 2029. Kearney research shows food and household staples are leading categories in the shift to app-based commerce. But when it comes to fresh produce, a number of consumers interviewed by Storyboard18 report abandoning the category entirely, citing “rotten” or “spoiled” items.

Parmar believes rebuilding trust requires not just operational fixes but better communication. “What I'm surprised by is that none of these major businesses have a crisis communication team which takes a more immediate view when a concern like this arises, both from not just from a strategic perspective, but more from a communication perspective".

As the quick commerce sector matures, experts warn that the road ahead must balance speed with safety. If not, a race to the consumer’s doorstep may end in a reputational dead-end.

“In business, the one intangible that makes or breaks a brand is trust,” said Hira. “Lose that, and you’ve lost the market.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/inside-quick-commerce-brand-wars-smear-tactics-platform-fights-and-founder-feuds-67962.htm%20..%20This%20story%20has%20my%20quote">Inside quick commerce brand wars: Smear tactics, platform fights and founder feuds</a>

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