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Ecommerce marketplace Flipkart has announced the launch of smartphone exchange program on its quick commerce vertical, Flipkart Minutes. According to the company's statement, customers will be able to exchange their old smartphones and upgrade in under 40 minutes. 

However, the service is currently available on select PIB codes across Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai. Soon, it will expand to all operational cities, the company added.

'How does smartphone exchange works?'

The e-retailer said that the smartphone exchange process is fully integrated into the Flipkart Minutes app.

"After selecting an eligible smartphone, customers can enter basic details about their existing device and instantly view its valuation. An exchange expert is assigned and reaches the customer’s doorstep within minutes," Flipkart said in a statement.

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"The entire process, including on-site device evaluation, pickup, and providing attractive offers on the new purchase, is completed in under 40 minutes," it added.

Customers can exchange smartphones in any condition, including defunct devices to get an exchange value of up to 50 percent depending on the condition of the old device.

"With the launch of the smartphone exchange program on Flipkart Minutes, we’re bringing smartphone upgrades into quick-commerce, combining instant doorstep pickup, real-time exchange value, and a trusted refurbishment pipeline," Kanchan Mishra, Vice President, Flipkart Minutes said.

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"By enabling near-instant, hyperlocal collection of used smartphones, including defunct devices, we significantly reduce long-haul logistics emissions and ensure each device gets a second life through responsible refurbishment or certified recycling," Ashutosh Chandel, Senior Director and Business Head, ReCommerce at Flipkart said.

Flipkart's quick commerce platform now offers smartphone exchange service in 40 minutes

The quick commerce boom is facing a backlash, with big FMCG brands in the country becoming increasingly cautious about partnering with the leading players due to their repeated instances of consumer norm violations and hygiene breaches. Regulatory raids have uncovered alarming practices at quick commerce dark stores operated by players like Zepto and Blinkit, including the sale of adulterated and expired products. 

Besides, customers have also taken to social media to share their grievances, highlighting instances of fake or spoiled products, such as Amul butter, expired ice creams, and rotten milk, among others. As the quick commerce industry scales up its dark stores rapidly, the consumer protection body has shared concerns regarding the impact on food safety and hygiene.

The recent lapses at a Zepto facility in Mumbai and a Blinkit store in Pune have made big FMCG brands re-evaluate their contractual agreement with the industry players.

Surprise visits

Calling regulatory scrutiny a double-edged sword, Siva Balakrishnan, CEO & Founder of Vserve, said adherence to regulations can reinforce brand value for a D2C FMCG firm, but any negligence, direct or indirect, can harm consumer perception.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/indias-quick-commerce-market-to-clock-rs-2-lakh-crore-in-3-years-careedge-report-73819.html">India’s quick commerce market to clock Rs 2 lakh crore in 3 years: CareEdge report</a>

According to Sweta Rajan, Partner, Economic Laws Practice, several brands are actively working with their distributors to tighten contractual safeguards across the supply chain. This includes pushing for the inclusion of stricter clauses related to brand safety, expiry date compliance, and inventory rotation, as well as ensuring that responsibilities for regulatory compliance are clearly assigned.

"Brands are seeking assurance that their products are not mishandled or sold past shelf life, even when they are not directly in control of the platform relationship," Rajan added.

Madhav Kasturia, Founder & CEO of quick commerce logistics startup Zippee, said that earlier brands asked the players to promote them, but things have changed after the raids. 

"The big companies are doing a surprise recce of dark stores where the SKUs are being stored". He said one of the brands warned them that they would terminate the contract if they found even one near-expiry push on the platform. "Brands have every reason to get strict because when FSSAI flags happen, it’s the brand on the firing line, not us," Kasturia added.

Storyboard18 reached out to Hindustan Unilever, Dabur Ltd, ITC Ltd, Amul, and Marico, but they declined to comment.

Kasturia added, "It doesn’t matter if you delivered in 8 minutes, if it’s stale or expired, that’s the only thing the customer remembers".

Since margins in FMCG products are thin, he said the unhealthy practices at dark stores will cause brands to lose not just customers but also reorders, referrals, and basket value.

However, Business & Brand-strategy specialist Harish Bijoor said more than consumer goods brands, quick commerce companies should be paranoid about date codes, quality, efficient storage facilities, as the new-age customers are aware of the real defaulter.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/inside-quick-commerce-brand-wars-smear-tactics-platform-fights-and-founder-feuds-67962.html">Inside quick commerce brand wars: Smear tactics, platform fights and founder feuds</a>

According to Balakrishnan, the increased scrutiny will elevate industry standards, rewarding those who prioritise quality, safety, and customer trust.

'Training gig workforce'

While re-evaluating agreements may provide temporary relief to brands, unless the underlying issues are addressed, similar violations are likely to recur. 

Pratik Vaidya, Managing Director at Karma Management Global Consulting Solutions Pvt Ltd, suggested that quick commerce players should comply with labour law regulations so that the staff at the warehouses do not lose morale and provide better services.

Vaidya highlighted the exploitative nature of dark stores, saying that more than 50 percent lack basic amenities like proper seating, water, or toilets. "Workers normally spend 10-12 hours on their feet with inadequate breaks, some franchise-run dark stores impose extreme speed targets, expecting packers to fulfil most orders within 2 minutes, backed by penalties. This pressure-cooker environment can directly impact product safety as the overworked staff fail to spot expired stock," he added.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/dark-stores-under-the-scanner-maharashtra-fda-flags-blinkit-warehouse-for-food-safety-violations-69393.html">Dark stores under the scanner: Maharashtra FDA flags Blinkit warehouse for food safety violations</a>

A dark store manager of Swiggy Instamart told Storyboard18 that he follows five steps to check expired, near-expiry, and rotten products. This includes: Use the FIFO (First-In, First-Out) method; audits and quality checks twice a day; use of Power BI to monitor inventory to track the real-time health of the inventory, and training for ASMs (assistant managers) to improve customer experience.

For any lapses, such as picking the wrong item, packing expired or damaged product, or violation of hygiene protocols, he explained the process: "We first start with a written warning to the store worker, followed by additional training. If the mistake is serious, termination is the only viable option left".

'Kirana significance'

As dark stores face increasing criticism for lacking transparency and failing to meet hygiene standards, traditional kirana stores may emerge as the more trustworthy alternative. Somdutta Singh, Serial Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Assiduus Global, said that well-run kiranas that maintain visible standards may earn renewed trust of consumers, but he maintained that dark stores will not replace kiranas, instead they will coexist. 

Striking the similar chord, Balakrishnan said consumer preference may shift to trusted local stores, especially for fresh and daily-use items if quick commerce platforms do not rectify current lapses.

On the other hand, Bijoor asserted that kirana stores will continue to remain under deep pressure as their volumes and margins are vanishing because of the aggressive penetration of quick commerce players in tier-2 and 3 cities.

"The real opportunity lies in digitizing kirana networks to match the reliability consumers now expect from structured models," Singh said.

Spoiled milk and rotten promises: Q-comm firms' hygiene lapses threaten FMCG brand ties

India's quick commerce industry is set to witness exponential growth as digital adoption spurs and consumer spending power increases. According to a report by CareEdge, a subsidiary of Care Ratings Limited, the quick commerce market is estimated to have a reach of around Rs 64,000 crore in the fiscal year 2025, growing at a staggering compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 142% between FY22 and FY25.

Besides, evolving consumer preferences, hyperlocal infrastructure, and a lower base are the key contributors behind the astronomical rise in the quick commerce sector in the country.

Further, the report has projected a strong double-digit growth in the coming years as the businesses expand in Tier-2 and 3 cities. 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/amazon-launches-quick-commerce-services-in-delhi-73803.html">Amazon launches quick commerce services in Delhi</a>

Additionally, the three dominant quick commerce players, that is Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart, have also been optimising advertising, subscriptions, and tech-led inventory to revive profitability.

In the next three years, the quick commerce market is poised to clock a gross order value of Rs 2 lakh crore by FY28 from Rs 64,000 crore in FY25, at a CAGR of 45-46 percent.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/nykaas-quick-commerce-venture-expands-to-7-cities-promises-order-delivery-in-30-120-min-71941.html">Nykaa’s quick commerce venture expands to 7 cities, promises order delivery in 30-120 min</a>

A slew of Direct-to-Consumer and Fast Moving Consumer Goods brands have embraced quick commerce, expanding their product variety and boosting average order values. Simultaneously, companies are also investing heavily in dark stores, tech infrastructure, and delivery optimisation, laying the groundwork for efficient and scalable operations. Further, the report mentioned that the Q-commerce market revenue generated through fees has grown at a significantly faster pace than the gross order value. This is because of the rise in platform fees by all the major players.

"The fee-based revenue, which stood at Rs 450 crore in FY22, has reached an estimated Rs 10,500 crore in FY25 and is further projected to reach Rs 34,500 crore by FY28, representing a significant CAGR of 26-27% from FY25 to FY28," according to CareEdge report.

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

The fee rate across the Q-commerce sector has shown a sharp upward trend between FY22 and FY25, driven by improved monetisation strategies. For instance, leading players reported take rate increases from around 7–9 percent in FY22 to 14–18 percent by FY25.

The seller's commission holds the largest pie in the revenue profile of a quick commerce firm at around 68-74 percent, followed by Delivery charges at 11-13 percent, Ads & Brand boosts by 9-11 percent, and subscription and private labels by 4-5 percent, respectively. 


Moreover, dark stores have been the actual operational engines of quick commerce platforms. During FY24-25, the number of dark stores increased from 1,800 to 3,072, registering 70.7% year-on-year growth. Moreover, average per-store revenue increased by 25.1 percent during the same period. 


"Q-commerce industry is still just around 1% of India’s massive grocery market, but that’s exactly what makes it exciting. As more consumers embrace the speed and convenience it offers, Q-commerce is set to grow rapidly, even if the broader grocery market growth remains flat," Amir Shaikh, Assistant Director, CareEdge Advisory & Research.

India's quick commerce market to clock Rs 2 lakh crore in 3 years: CareEdge report

The quick commerce battle has intensified, with global ecommerce giant Amazon kickstarting a 10-minute delivery service in Delhi this week. Last month, the platform started its quick commerce services in three pincodes of Bengaluru. 

In an official statement by the Amazon spokesperson, the e-retailer's quick commerce vertical, Amazon Now, will be expanding the service for the next few months to get consumer feedback.

Amazon has always focused on offering customers a wide selection with convenient and fast delivery. We are running our 10-minute delivery service, Amazon Now, in select pin-codes in Bengaluru and Delhi, and are excited by the initial customer response and positive feedback, especially from Prime members. Based on this, we're now expanding the service over the next few months. Through Amazon Now, we offer a curated selection of everyday essentials delivered within minutes, addressing immediate customer needs while maintaining Amazon's standards for safety, quality, and reliability," according to the Amazon spokesperson.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/nykaas-quick-commerce-venture-expands-to-7-cities-promises-order-delivery-in-30-120-min-71941.html">Nykaa’s quick commerce venture expands to 7 cities, promises order delivery in 30-120 min</a>


Amazon's closest rival in the country, Flipkart, is also betting on quick commerce services aggressively. The Walmart-owned firm, which launched "Minutes" last year, is doing 10-minute delivery in 19 cities, including Jaipur and Kanpur.


The platform has infused Rs 3,249 crore internally to scale up its dark stores to 800 by the end of 2025, from 400 currently. 

Currently, India has three dominant players in the quick commerce ecosystem--Zepto, Eternal-owned Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart. Zepto's revenue surged past 120% to Rs 4,455 crore in fiscal year 2024. While the unicorn startups have reportedly postponed their IPO plan, they raised nearly $450 million in the latest round of funding this week from domestic investors. 

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

In contrast, losses of Blinkit climbed to Rs 178 crore in the fourth quarter ended on March 31, 2025. However, its revenue surged by 122%, reaching Rs 1,709 crore in Q4 FY25 compared to Rs 769 crore.

On the other hand, Swiggy's quick commerce vertical revenues increased by 115% to Rs 689 crore in Q4 FY25 from Rs 320 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal. 


Notably, India's quick commerce market is rapidly evolving. According to a report by TeamLease, it is expected to grow by 75-85% in the current calendar year, reaching a gross merchandise value (GMV) of $5 billion. The number of monthly transacting users in the sector grew by over 40 per cent in 2024, while the average monthly orders per customer increased from 4.4 in 2021 to six in 2024.

Amazon launches quick commerce services in Delhi

Quick commerce platform Zepto is reportedly planning to raise $400-500 million from existing investors, which will surge the valuation of the company to $7 billion. 

According to a report by Moneycontrol, Zepto's investors General Catalysts and Avenir Growth will infuse a fund of $450-500 million, along with participation from other existing investors on a pro rata basis.

The current round of funding will be completed by the end of June. Following the closure of the latest funding round, Zepto's domestic ownership will reduce to around 35%. At present, 40% of the domestic investors own stake in Zepto, including Motilal Oswal, Calypond Capital, 2 am VC, Lightspeed India, Haldiram, Cello, among others. 

Last year, Zepto raised $1.35 billion, of which $350 million was infused by Motilal Oswal in November 2024 in the Series G round.

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/maharashtra-fda-suspends-zeptos-food-license-over-safety-violations-68285.html">Maharashtra FDA suspends Zepto’s food license over safety violations</a>

According to data platform Tracxn, Zepto has a total of 71 investors, 54 of whom are institutional investors, including Y Combinator, and 53 others; 17 are Angel investors, including Mohandass Kalaichelvan, and 16 others.


Zepto has deferred its initial public offering (IPO) plans by a year and is likely to make a debut in the stock market in 2026. 

<a href="https://cms.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/zepto-faces-worker-protests-in-telangana-over-low-wages-unreasonable-work-pressure-67147.html">Zepto faces worker protests in Telangana over low wages, unreasonable work pressure</a>

A Moneycontrol report said that Zepto postponed the plan as the quick commerce platform is working on bringing down its cash burn and improving its profit profile.

Besides, Zepto clocked a two-fold increase in its revenue in fiscal year 2024, while it managed to reduce the loss marginally by 2% in the same period.

Zepto's revenue from operations increased to Rs 4,454 crore in FY24 from Rs 2,026 crore in FY23. The company's advertisement vertical's annualised revenue run-rate (ARR) grew fivefold in the past year. The company's co-founder, Aadit Palicha, said that the ARR surged from $40 million to $200 million in 2024.

In the past few months, Zepto received a barrage of criticism after the food regulatory authority found violations of consumer safety norms at the company's dark stores. 

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The company has scaled up its fresh produce category fourfold in a year. Zepto sold 22.1 lakh units of produce a day in May 2025 compared to 6.4 lakh units in the same period last year. 

"Zepto has achieved this scale through direct sourcing, tech-led procurement, and smart last-mile handling — making fresh produce not just faster, but more accessible and affordable. Zepto works directly with thousands of farmers across 70+ collection centres — strategically located hubs where produce is graded, packed, and dispatched within 12 hours of harvest,” the company said in a statement.

Zepto to raise $450-$500 million from existing investor, valuation likely to surge to $7 billion

Beauty and fashion e-retailer Nykaa, which made its debut in quick commerce service in October 2024, has now expanded it to seven cities. 

According to the regulatory filing, Nykaa's fast delivery venture, 'Nykaa Now' has more than 40 rapid store counts in seven metro cities. Nykaa's parent firm FSN E-Commerce has promised order fulfilment between 30-120 minutes. 

In the recently held Quarter 4 earning call, Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar said the company's focus is on 2-hour delivery at present.

"We are also building it in a way with a promise of within 2-hour delivery with most likely delivery timelines of 60 minutes, which is a better way to build a beauty quick commerce business," Nayar said.

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Simultaneously, Nykaa is also bolstering its offline presence, with the opening of 237 stores in 79 cities to date. 

The beauty retailer has clocked significant sales, driven by premium brands. According to the company, it witnessed a 9-fold jump in premium customer annual consumption in fiscal year 2025. The average annual spending stood at $395 (Rs 34,120 approx) by the top 10% of customers, Nykaa mentioned in its latest investor report.


Nykaa's beauty vertical grew by 30%, about Rs 11,780 crore GMV in FY25. In contrast, the fashion growth came out at 12% on a year-on-year basis at Rs 3,800 crore of GMV.

	
<a href="http://Nykaa bets big on body care, fragrances; Offline sales gain momentum">Nykaa bets big on body care, fragrances; Offline sales gain momentum</a>


House of Nykaa, the brands owned by the company, clocked Rs 1,700 crore GMV in the beauty segment--a six-fold rise YoY in FY25. Nykaa-owned fashion brands registered Rs 430 crore GMV in the same period, driven by a surge in homegrown D2C brands, occasion-led demand, and spending on brands outpacing unbranded products.

GenZ is driving major growth for the lifestyle category, according to Nykaa. In FY25, GenZ's spending stood at $0.9 trillion, which is estimated to jump to $1.4 trillion by 2030.

According to Redseer's report, the Beauty & Personal Care and Fashion segments account for a quarter of discretionary spending in India FY25. However, the lifestyle categories are projected to drive the e-commerce industry's growth from $23 billion in FY25 to $70-75 billion in FY30.

Nykaa's quick commerce venture expands to 7 cities, promises order delivery in 30-120 min

The tech, demographic and policy tailwinds from the past decade that have fueled the rise of a $1 trillion digital opportunity, as per the report titled Click, Watch, Shop: the consumer opportunity in India’ by Bessemer Venture Partner. The report also talks about the user behaviours that will shape consumer offerings in the future.

A tailwind trifecta of internet penetration, evolving demographics and policy changes are among the trends that have enabled the rise of new age consumer companies such as Swiggy, Urban Company, Boldfit, Vetic and more. Going forward, it is the evolution of commerce marketplaces, content platforms and changing consumer aspirations that will power newer companies to win in the Indian context.
 
Anant Vidur Puri, Partner, said “India presents a $1 trillion dollar digital opportunity. The emergence of multiple consumer marketplaces, platforms and new-age brands in the past decade are a testament to the growing aspirations of an emergent India. This makes us exceptionally optimistic about the potential for many more consumer plays to emerge in the coming years.”

As per the report, commerce will become quicker, better and more aspirational across channels as India's burgeoning online commerce sector has witnessed an extraordinary expansion in recent years. Starting from a base of $30 billion in 2020 and is expected to get to $300 billion by the end of the decade in 2030, contributing to a $1 trillion dollar digital opportunity. This demonstrates it is no longer a niche phenomenon catering to a small segment but has firmly established itself as a dominant force within the Indian retail landscape for a significant and growing share of the population. 

In addition, the recent rise of quick commerce has introduced a new dimension to the online retail ecosystem, further revolutionizing the way consumers access goods. Platforms such as BigBasket, Blinkit, Swiggy and Zepto have spearheaded this movement, demonstrating the viability and consumer appeal of rapid delivery services. This segment is seeing the further trend of verticalised q-commerce emerging, with startups like Snabbit, Swish and Slikk catering to niche needs.

Moreover, D2C brands are increasingly catering to an aspirational mass-premium audience - an audience characterized by the demand for newer, better priced, higher quality products.

India is also experiencing a content revolution driven by consumers' diverse appetites for entertainment, education and gaming. Characterized by short attention spans and a multitude of accessible platforms across interests, languages and budgets, user engagement is rapid, facilitated by frictionless microtransactions or autopay-led subscriptions.

The report reveals that the platforms are adapting to these shorter attention spans with quick and engaging content. Over the past five years, short-form video platforms in India have witnessed a 3.6X growth in daily active users, competing with mainstream digital platforms. Moreover, the rise of virtual tipping, UPI autopay and other micro-transactions is expected to reach $1.5 billion by 2029 and exemplifies the growth of UPI-enabled microtransactions which allows companies to experiment with diverse monetisation models beyond just ads. 

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Furthermore, the modern Indian consumer’s choices increasingly prioritise what were previously seen as lifestyle spending. These include previously thought “non-essential” spending in areas such as physical and mental health, financial wellness, and pet care. This expenditure has moved from being a good-to-have to a must-have for Indian consumers. For instance, there is increased spending on organic food, protein, fitness gadgets, preventive healthcare, and wellness services.) Health-focused food and beverage (F&B) as a category has expanded from approximately 11% to about 16% of F&B spend and is expected to continue to increase as brands have been quick to adapt to this trend.

Similar trends can be seen in segments such as financial services such as personal finance offering and petcare.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/nearly-60-of-indian-cxos-feel-strained-by-ai-investments-survey-71744.htm">Nearly 60% of Indian CXOs feel strained by AI investments: Survey</a>

From $30 to 300 billion! India’s online commerce set to 10X by 2030, reveals Bessemer Venture Partner report

Quick commerce platform Slikk has announced the appointment of Sachin Kataria as Head of Beauty and Personal Care (BPC). Kataria is a seasoned entrepreneur and consumer business leader with over 17 years of experience.

The Gen Z-focused quick commerce platform founded by Akshay Gulati, Om Prakash Swami, and Bipin Singh in 2024, delivered apparel and accessories to customers’ doorsteps within 60 minutes across select zones in Bengaluru. However, after roping in Kataria, the startup is expanding into Beauty & Personal Care products.

Kataria held leadership roles across the entire consumer lifecycle—from new product development and growth marketing to omnichannel distribution and full P&L ownership. Before joining Slikk, Kataria was the Vice President at Nykaa. Commenting on the appointment, Akshay Gulati, Co-founder of Slikk, said “Sachin’s depth of experience in building and scaling consumer businesses makes him the ideal leader to build our beauty and personal care vertical. His deep expertise in the beauty and personal care category, paired with the rigor to build a 0 to 1 journey from the ground up, will empower us to rapidly scale our beauty, daily self-care, and wellness offerings. This is a key milestone in accelerating our vision to become India’s fastest and most reliable quick-commerce fashion and lifestyle marketplace.”

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In his new role at Slikk, Kataria will lead the launch and expansion of the Beauty & Personal Care vertical. His mandate includes defining and executing a high-impact go-to-market strategy across skincare, makeup, haircare, wellness, and emerging indie labels. He will focus on building a sharp assortment strategy, forging strategic partnerships with legacy brands and D2C innovators, and collaborating cross-functionally across tech, product, growth, and ops to deliver a seamless and delightful customer experience. 

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"I have always believed that beauty is deeply personal—but it’s also rapidly evolving. Slikk’s model offers a unique opportunity to reimagine how beauty can be discovered, experienced, and delivered. I am excited to build this vertical from the ground up," Kataria added.

Recently, Slikk raised $10 million (Rs 85.12 crore) in its Series A round led by Nexus Venture Partners. The round also saw participation from its existing investor Lightspeed.

Quick commerce platform Slikk appoints Sachin Kataria to head beauty & personal care division

With the explosive growth in India's quick commerce sector, shaped by shifting consumer expectations, digital acceleration, and the growing need for convenience, job opportunities have also expanded for both white-collar and blue-collar workers. India's big-3 quick commerce players- Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart have accelerated the hiring of blue, grey, and white-collar professionals within the unique structure of their operating models. Besides, the three dominant players in the 10-minute delivery businesses offer competitive salaries respective to different roles. 

'Quick commerce sector salary & benefits'

Blue-collar jobs

Frontline workers engaged in delivery roles are typically referred to as gig or contract-based workers, who fall under blue-collar employment. The concept of 'fair wage' or 'minimum wage' is elusive for gig workers across all three platforms.

Balaji Parthasarathy, a professor at the International Institute of Information Technology in Bangalore, says all leading quick commerce players have refused to offer an hourly minimum wage after cost to their workers. 

"Since gig workers' wages are based on the number of deliveries they undertook during a day, their take-home earnings may fall below the local minimum wage," he added, "In order to earn incentives from the delivery, the working hours exceeds the statutory regulations". 

<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, Eternal-owned Blinkit claims to have a fair work culture for its delivery partners. According to the company's website, a delivery executive can earn up to Rs 50,000 a month with incentives and other benefits. Besides, the platform has also given 'flexible' working hours wherein the worker can choose to work for 4,8 or 10 hours a day. Blinkit pays on a weekly basis to its delivery executive.

On the other hand, Zepto mentioned that its delivery associate can earn between Rs 25,000 and Rs 40,000 per month. The incentives are awarded based on the 'number of deliveries completed, customer feedback, and adherence to delivery timelines'. Additional bonuses are available during peak hours or special promotions, Zepto stated.

<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>

Swiggy delivery partner's monthly earnings may go up to Rs 30,000, the company stated on its website. The food to grocery delivery platform added that it provides insurance up to Rs 12 lakh to the delivery partner and his family, a skill development program, vehicle maintenance support, and easy personal loans. 

White-collar jobs

The salary of white-collar workers, which includes professional and managerial roles, varies based on tech and non-tech roles. Apart from offering defined career path, white-collar jobs also offer compensation structures that align with demands of high-performance environments, including ESOPs, insurance, and other benefits, Surinder Bhagat, Founder and CEO at Gigin AI said.

Job platform foundit's Anupama Bhimrajka, VP of Marketing exclusively told Storyboard18 that a fresher with tech roles commands a 30-50% premium over non-tech positions at quick commerce platforms.

"For engineering graduates (tech roles), base salaries at these firms range between Rs 8-20 Lakh per annum (LPA), with Zepto leading the pack due to its aggressive hiring from IITs and top tech schools—offering Rs 15-25 LPA for specialized roles in AI, backend development, and logistics optimization. Blinkit, provides Rs 10-18 LPA for similar roles, while Instamart (Swiggy) leans toward Rs8-15 LPA, with additional ESOPs and performance bonuses (10-20% of Cost to company) in early-stage startups like Zepto," Bhimrajka said.

In non-tech roles—such as operations, category management, and marketing — salaries are more modest, averaging Rs 4-10 LPA.

According to Bhimrajka, Blinkit and Instamart offer slightly higher base pay (Rs 5-12 LPA) to non-tech employees due to their scaled operations. In contrast, Zepto tends to start at Rs 4-8 LPA for operations associates, with MBA graduates earning 15-25% more in category management roles.

[caption id="attachment_70127" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2025/06/q-comm-tech-roles-2025-06-36aa86a3360cfce80842dbe9eee15932-300x169.jpg" alt="(Source: Foundit)" width="300" height="169" class="size-medium wp-image-70127" /> (Source: Foundit)[/caption]

However, Bhagat envisages that quick commerce firms' engagement with their frontline and full-time professionals will evolve with time. He added, "We believe that the focus will continue to shift towards more transparent, technology-enabled, and inclusive workforce model".

Fast deliveries, uneven pay: Hiring surge and pay divide in the quick-commerce economy

After kicking off the 10-minute delivery of iPhones, gold, and silver coins, Tata-backed BigBasket has planned to enter into the food delivery space by the end of fiscal year 2026.

According to media reports, BigBasket has already rolled out 1--minute food delivery service in select parts of Bengaluru. Currently, it is offering beverages and food bowls sourced from Tata Group's hospitality ventures such as Starbucks and Qmin.

BigBasket's co-founder Vipul Parekh told Reuters it plans to use dark stores to fuel the 10-minute food delivery services and strengthen its space in India's booming quick commerce market.

While BigBasket's quick delivery division has been operational for approximately 2.5 years, the company shifted its focus from slotted deliveries to quick delivery as part of a major overhaul of the brand.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/tanishq-bigbasket-collaborate-for-10-minute-delivery-of-gold-silver-coins-46398.htm">Tanishq, BigBasket collaborate for 10-minute delivery of gold, silver coins</a>

In September, BigBasket pivoted to a 10-minute delivery segment by tying up with Croma Electronics (Tata Group's gadgets brand) to deliver the iPhone 16 models to customers within 10 minutes.

With this initiative, the Tata Group-backed company will be competing with established players like Swiggy's Snacc, Blinkit's Bistro, and Zepto's Zepto Cafe which are delivering coffee and food from Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in less than 15 minutes.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/tata-brands-gear-up-to-collaborate-to-strengthen-bigbaskets-bb-now-quick-delivery-service-45027.htm">Q-comm brewing: Tata Group brands gear up to strengthen BigBasket’s BB Now</a>

BigBasket was acquired by Tata Digital in May 2021. Last year, the company rebranded its quick commerce service as BBNow.

A lot of players have also entered into 10-minute food delivery services such as Swish and Zing, but are available in select regions such as Bengaluru and NCR. Last year in December, magicpin launched magicNow-a 15-minute food delivery service across six cities-- Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune.

QUICK COMMERCE