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From food to groceries to essential medical supplies, India's delivery system is undergoing a magnificent shift at present. However, behind this seamless experience are the gig workers, who not just navigate traffic but also unpredictable weather and other challenges to ensure timely deliveries.

According to a report, "India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy", the gig economy market is expected to grow to 23.5 million workers by 2029-2030.

While gig workers enjoy the flexibility of hours, their freedom also comes at an expensive cost, with many riders reporting increased stress and leading to unsafe road practices.  

A recent survey conducted by Borzo (erstwhile WeFast), found that around 57.3% of riders experience stress when delivering within a 15-minute timeframe. In fact, about 34.1% of delivery workers find 15-minute deliveries more physically demanding compared to other timelines of deliveries. In contrast, 26.7% of gig workers believe that 60-minute deliveries are more physically challenging.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/the-high-price-of-ratings-gig-workers-struggle-under-arbitrary-review-systems-62651.htm">The high price of ratings: Gig workers struggle under arbitrary review systems</a>

Notably, a majority (80.6%) of surveyed gig riders stated that a 60-minute delivery timeframe promotes safer driving compared to a 15-minute deadline.

When asked about the most beneficial aspect of making 15-minute deliveries, 31.3% of riders said that covering shorter distances is the satisfactory part. Further, 11% of riders highlighted the ease of handling smaller parcels, and 10% appreciated the reduced expenses incurred on each delivery. 

On the other hand, the most significant challenge in making 15-minute deliveries, as cited by 31.8% of gig workers, is the pressure to deliver parcels within a very short timeframe. About 24.4% of riders say that the physical and mental stress involved is the most difficult aspect, while 24.3% struggle with the constant sense of urgency. Additionally, 19.5% find riding at higher speeds to meet tight deadlines particularly challenging. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/indian-employees-prioritize-family-over-career-advancement-41-take-on-side-gigs-to-offset-inflation-indeed-54894.htm">Indian employees prioritise family over career advancement; 41% take on side gigs to offset inflation: Report</a>

When it comes to profitability, around 56.5% of gig delivery workers believe that 60-minute deliveries allow them to earn more profit while completing more orders without the pressure of constant urgency. In contrast, 43.5% feel that 15-minute deliveries offer the best opportunity to maximize their earnings. 

"While quick commerce and ultra-fast deliveries have undoubtedly added convenience for consumers, the growing pressure on the supply chain calls for deeper reflection. As the quick commerce sector continues to expand, it’s essential that platforms prioritize workers. Ultimately, it's about finding the right balance between delivering quickly and ensuring riders can perform their jobs safely and efficiently. The industry must listen to their experiences and adapt different approaches to support the riders for their well-being and efficiency," Alina Kisina, CEO, Borzo said.

57% of gig workers find 15-minute deliveries stressful: Borzo report

E-commerce giant Flipkart has made work from the office mandatory for all its employees. With this, the company has ended the work-from-home policy, rolled out during the Covid pandemic in 2020.

According to the company's spokesperson, Flipkart gradually rolled back the work from home policy in phases. 

The company said, "We have been pursuing the gradual return of its employees to the office for the past year".

Initially, the company asked the senior-level executives to work from the office regularly. However, as per the Moneycontrol report, the rule is now mandatory for all employees, across functions and roles. 

However, all employees would be given a certain number of days when they are able to avail of work from home. 

Flipkart spokesperson said, "By returning to office, we aim to foster a strong sense of community for new hires and existing employees; and a shared focus on our common goals".

In September last year, Flipkart's rival Amazon also ended its work-from-home policy and asked its employees to return to the Bengaluru office.

Similarly, Meesho's employees have been working from the office five days a week for more than a year now.

The announcement by Flipkart has come at a time when the company is gearing up to make a debut in the Indian stock market. According to media reports, Flipkart is expected to launch the Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the fiscal year 2026.

Walmart is the largest shareholder of Flipkart at 85% and the remaining 15% is owned by a mix of investors such as: Tiger Global Management, DST Global, Google, Qatar Investment Authority, GIC (Government of Singapore Investment Corporation), etc.

Ahead of IPO, Flipkart discontinues work-from-home policy, mandates 5-day office attendance

The value of digital commerce is likely to see a surge of $320-$340 billion by 2030, driven by government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a McKinsey & Company study revealed.

According to the report, digital commerce in fashion and lifestyle is projected to climb from $11-$13 billion in 2022 to $80-82 billion in 2030. The grocery sector is expected to grow from $4-5 billion in 2022 to $50-55 billion in 2030.

The electronics and durables category may see a threefold rise from $24-26 billion in 20222 to $70-72 billion in 2030.

Notably, fashion & lifestyle, electronics & durables, and grocery segments account for 62% of total digital commerce in 2030.

McKinsey projected that digital commerce of the entertainment sector, including gaming, filming, and television, will grow six times, hitting $17-19 billion.

According to the study, India has drawn interest as a business hub across the globe. 

Between 2021 and 2023, 984 internal firms registered to operate in India, up from 320 between 2019 and 2021.
Currently, India has 1,5000 global capability centres, with 250 added in the past 3-5 years.
Further, it stated that the average spending power of Indians has gone up from $271 in 2012 to $705 in 2023. However, despite the increase in spending, 95% of the customers have less than $2,000 in financial assets.


India's digital commerce growth to witness $320-340 bn surge, fueled by ONDC: McKinsey

The Government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has reportedly appointed eight interim members to its executive committee, who will lead the company until a replacement is found for former CEO Thampy Koshy.

According to a report by Livemint, the eight executive members include, Vibhor Jain (current chief operating officer at ONDC), Nitin Mishra (chief technology officer), Supriyo Ghosh (senior vice president of technology), Nitin Nair (senior vice president of mobility), Hrushikesh Mehta, Marichi Mathur (senior vice presidents of network expansion), Krishan Agarwal (SVP, finance) and Deepti Pandey (Lead, HR).

Last week, ONDC said that Thampy Koshy resigned from the CEO post. His final day at the company is June 30, 2025. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/thampy-koshy-quits-as-ondc-ceo-third-senior-leader-to-depart-in-less-than-6-months-61968.htm">Thampy Koshy quits as ONDC CEO; Third senior leader to depart in less than 6 months</a>

However, Koshy will be available to the board for advice over the next three months.

ONDC has witnessed a couple of other resignations at the senior-level in the past few months. For instance, ONDC's chief business officer (CBO) Shireesh Joshi resigned in March this year citing personal reasons. RS Sharma, the non-executive chairperson of ONDC, resigned in December 2024 after serving for four months.

ONDC has been formed to create an open and inclusive digital commerce ecosystem in the country. The network hosts several buyer and seller apps across segments, such as Paytm, Ola, Delhivery, etc.

The government-backed initiative has crossed 200 million transactions on its network since its launch in September 2022. However, its retail segment, which includes food delivery and e-commerce, witnessed a drop in orders following the cut in financial incentives to sellers and customers.

The retail transaction reduced to 4.6 million in February 2025 from 6.5 million in October 2024.

ONDC appoints 8 interim members to executive committee after CEO Thampy Koshy's resignation

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has reportedly stepped down from his position after years of stint.

According to a report, ONDC CEO Thampy Koshi's final day at the company is June 30, 2025. The report mentioned that the board has no immediate plans to find Koshy's replacement.

On Koshy's exit, ONDC said that the CEO expressed a desire to step down while helping with the change.

His responsibilities have been transitioned to an executive committee. However, Koshy will be available to the board for advice over the next three months.

This latest development has come after ONDC's chief business officer (CBO) Shireesh Joshi resigned in March this year citing personal reasons. Notably, RS Sharma, the non-executive chairperson of ONDC, resigned in December 2024 after after serving for four months.


ONDC, the government-backed initiative has crossed 200 million transactions on its network since its launch in September 2022. However, its retail segment, which includes food delivery and e-commerce, witnessed a drop in orders following the cut in financial incentives to sellers and customers.

The retail transaction reduced to 4.6 million in February 2025 from 6.5 million in October 2024.

Initially, ONDC provided financial incentives to onboard sellers, drive transactions, and fund customer discounts. Later, the network slashed the monthly cap on these incentives from Rs 3 crore in July 2024 to Rs 30 lakh at present.


ONDC has been formed to create an open and inclusive digital commerce ecosystem in the country. The network hosts several buyer and seller apps across segments, such as  Paytm, Ola, Delhivery, etc.

Thampy Koshy quits as ONDC CEO; Third senior leader to depart in less than 6 months

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) raided warehouses of e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart at multiple locations on Wednesday. 

The government body seized several substandard toys, blenders, bottles, and speakers during the raid. The official said they conducted the raids in the Gurugram, Delhi, and Lucknow warehouses of Amazon and Flipkart.

As per the post on the X platform, BIS seized, "374 toys, 44 hand blenders, 534 bottles, 41 speakers, 7,000 electric water heaters and 95 electric room heaters".

The official said that the products were found without the "mandatory BIS quality mark", which violates the BIS Act, 2016.

"By seizing these substandard items, BIS ensures that only products meeting safety standards are sold to consumers, thereby protecting them from substandard goods," the government body said.

Furthermore, the BIS officials also conducted raids in the Thiruvallur warehouses on Thursday.

According to The New Indian Express report, the raid was conducted at Amazon's Indo Space AS Industrial Park Private Limited, wherein the officials confiscated 3,376 non-certified products worth Rs 36 lakh.

The seized items included insulated food containers, metallic water bottles, toys, ceiling fans, etc.

At Flipkart's Koduvalli warehouse, the officials seized 86 packs of baby diapers, 36 boxes of insulated hotpots, 26 stainless steel water bottles, and 10 insulated steel bottles as they lacked BIS certification.

As per the law, selling a product without BIS certification leads to two years of jail or a fine ranging from Rs 2 lakh to 10 times the product's price.

BIS raids Amazon, Flipkart warehouses, seizes substandard 'toys, bottles, diapers, water heaters'

E-commerce giant Amazon's GenZ-focused fashion store has witnessed a three-fold jump in shoppers. Additionally, Amazon Fashion's Next Gen Store also saw a fold surge in purchases from Tier-2 cities among the GenZ group.

The e-commerce giant launched Next Gen Store in 2023, focusing on youth-driven fashion. According to the company, demand for styles like Y2K aesthetics, 90s grunge, and streetwear is growing beyond the metropolitan region, with notable traction seen in Chandigarh, Surat, and Jaipur, Amazon India said.

“What we are witnessing is an emergence of a new fashion paradigm where Gen Z consumers from across India’s diverse geography are embracing self-expression through style. The Next Gen store’s success in tier-two cities like Chandigarh, Jaipur, Surat, and more particularly highlights how digital platforms are reshaping fashion accessibility, allowing trend-forward selections to reach beyond metropolitan boundaries,"  Siddharth Bhagat, Director of Amazon Fashion and Beauty India said.

Separately, Amazon Inc is reportedly laying off 14,000 managerial jobs to cut costs. According to media reports, Amazon would save between Rs 210 crore and Rs 360 crore by sacking 13 percent of its workforce. 

Recently,  Amazon's communications and sustainability divisions also announced job cuts.

Amazon's GenZ fashion store sees 3-fold jump in shoppers

FSN E-Commerce Ventures Limited, the parent company of online shopping platform Nykaa, has incorporated wholly owned subsidiary, Nykaa Essentials Private Ltd. The Mumbai-based subsidiary belongs to the Beauty and Personal Care (BPC) Retail business (ecommerce and stores).

It is a newly incorporated company and is yet to commence its business operations. 

According to the exchange filing, the purpose of the new subsidiary company is trading and dealing in all kinds of cosmetics, toiletries, beauty, personal care, and health care
products, lifestyle products, perfumery products, and other related goods and products of all kinds and descriptions and other related activities.


Nykaa will hold 100 percent ownership in the subsidiary, and the incorporation does not fall under related party transactions, the company said.

In the third quarter of the fiscal year 2025, FSN-Ecommerce's beauty business saw a growth of 32 percent year-on-year at a GMV of Rs 3,389 crore. On the revenue front, Nykaa posted 27 percent growth in Q3, The net revenue of the beauty business stood at Rs 2,060 crore.

Nykaa launched 200 beauty brands in 2024. The company has a network of 221 beauty offline stores of which 47 were added in 2024 and 12 in Q3 FY25. 

During the Q3 earning call, the company said that physical retail stores ha splayed a significant role in  premiumizing the beauty market. "2/3 of our stores GMV comes from prestige beauty brands from physical store," Nykaa mentioned.

The company has continued its focus on investing in the premiumization of the beauty category.

Nykaa incorporates subsidiary for beauty and personal care

E-commerce has brought a massive revolution in India's retail industry with growth projected to touch $550 billion by 2035, according to a report by Ananrock-ET Retail. It is likely to touch $345 billion by 2030-end, it added. The Indian e-commerce market is growing at a CAGR of 15 percent, and in 2024, the value of this disruptive segment was estimated at $125 billion.

According to Anuj Kejriwal, CEO & MD – ANAROCK Retail, the penetration of e-commerce in tier-2 and 3 cities has fueled the growth of the entire retail industry.  

"The share of online shoppers from Tier 2 and 3 cities has increased to 56 percent in FY2024 from 46 percent in FY 2020, and is expected to reach 64 percent by FY2030," Kejriwal said.

Meanwhile, the overall Indian retail industry's market size is expected to touch $2,500 billion by 2035, witnessing a three-fold increase compared to 2019, the report added.

In contrast, new mall supply across the top 7 cities stood at 1 million sq ft in 2024 while the absorption stood at 6 million sq ft in 2024.

"New supply is lagging far behind demand. Current supply and demand trends for mall spaces indicate a post-pandemic rebound in leasing, now largely driven by experiential retail. Apparel and the F&B sectors consistently contribute nearly 45 percent of demand, remaining the top footfall drivers. Also, post-COVID, the mall vacancy rate has declined from 15.4% in 2019 to 8.1% in 2024," Kejriwal said.

India's e-commerce market to touch $550 billion by 2035: Report

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has released a draft outlining self-governance guidelines for the e-commerce industry. BIS will accept comments from stakeholders until February 15. Interestingly, the draft guidelines address advertising practices on e-commerce platforms and mandating adequate disclosures on e-commerce websites and apps.

The draft, titled “E-Commerce: Principles and Guidelines for Self-Governance,” lays out essential principles and provides guidance for the self-governance of e-commerce operations, aiming to benefit both consumers and other stakeholders involved in the e-commerce business.

According to a recent EY-FICCI report, e-commerce platforms generated advertising revenue of INR 70 billion, accounting for over 14% of total digital advertising (compared to 12% in 2020). This figure is expected to reach INR 150 billion by 2025.

The draft covers various aspects of e-commerce, including information disclosure, product and service information display, returns and refunds, handling counterfeit goods, measures against the sale of banned products, and more.

The guidelines emphasize that every e-commerce entity must ensure the authenticity of all sellers, service providers, and products on their platform. BIS states that consumers engage with these platforms due to the trust they inspire. Additionally, the consumer shopping experience is influenced by the platform’s business partners.

Regarding advertising, the draft states that advertisements or sponsorships must be clearly identifiable as such and distinguished from other content, including editorial comments, terms and conditions, and independent product reviews. It also highlights that product displays must comply with regulations and guidelines such as those from FSSAI, Legal Metrology Rules, and ASCI.

The draft mandates that all disclosures must be provided in a phased manner, ensuring relevant information is available at every stage of the consumer’s decision-making process. Disclosures should be prominently published on the platform, website, or app in a clear, legible, and accessible format.

According to a study by RedSeer Consulting, over 90% of brands in India participate in e-commerce festival season sales. The study also revealed that the average brand allocates over 10% of its annual advertising budget to these sales.

Interestingly, BIS places responsibility on e-commerce platforms to obtain confirmations from sellers, ensuring that product descriptions, images, and other content accurately reflect the appearance, nature, quality, purpose, and features of the specific product or service. Platforms are also required to take appropriate action when discrepancies are brought to their attention.

The draft further requires e-commerce entities to periodically review all sellers and ensure that their representations are authentic and accurate.

Emphasizing the importance of fair representation, the BIS document states that the default digital representation of sellers should be impartial and based on pre-determined parameters, such as reviews and prices.

The document also specifies that platforms must provide a clear explanation of the primary parameters used to rank goods or services. Terms and conditions governing relationships with sellers and any differentiated treatment provided to certain goods, services, or sellers must be transparently disclosed.

As per a report by Mordor Intelligence, India’s e-commerce market size is projected to grow from USD 137.21 billion in 2025 to USD 363.30 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.5% during the forecast period.

BIS will add formal clauses in future after seeking adequate consultation from the stakeholders.

ECOMMERCE