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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.

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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.

Tata's BigBasket to launch 10-minute food delivery service by the end of FY26

India's consumer protection watchdog has significantly broadened its crackdown on "dark patterns," issuing a sweeping advisory to over 50 online platforms, including not just e-commerce behemoths but also popular streaming services, travel aggregators, food delivery apps, ride-hailing firms, meditech startups, and fintech companies. The directive mandates these platforms to eliminate deceptive design practices and conduct comprehensive self-audits within three months.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) sent the pointed advisory on June 5, referencing ongoing instances of dark pattern usage despite existing guidelines and even previous notices issued in some cases. A key focus of the advisory is Rule 4(9) of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, which clearly states that consumer consent for purchases must be obtained explicitly, thereby prohibiting automatic recording via pre-ticked checkboxes or similar manipulative mechanisms.

Dark patterns refer to deceptive or manipulative design elements in websites or mobile applications that trick users into taking actions they might not have intended, such as making an unwitting purchase, subscribing to a service, or sharing personal data. Common examples include false urgency, basket sneaking (adding unselected items to a cart), confirm shaming (using guilt to nudge decisions), and subscription traps (making cancellations difficult).

According to Business Standard, Flipkart has responded to the CCPA's move, stating that the company welcomes the emphasis on fostering online consumer confidence. "At Flipkart, our commitment to develop & run an open, transparent, technology-driven marketplace focused on our customers is in complete sync with the government's focus," the company affirmed, adding that it constantly assesses and self-audits to ensure compliance.

However, not all platforms have readily embraced the directive. One unnamed platform acknowledged the advisory but controversially argued that the dark pattern guidelines are not legally binding. It also suggested that such practices are not industry-wide issues, but rather design experiments aimed at boosting engagement and sales, as per the report by Business Standard. 

As the three-month deadline looms, the onus is now on these diverse online platforms to scrutinize their interfaces and ensure transparency and fairness in their user experiences.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/ccpa-warns-e-comm-firms-over-dark-patterns-self-audit-within-3-months-69249.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">CCPA warns e-comm firms over “dark patterns”; self-audit within 3 months</a>

CCPA 'Dark Patterns' warning: Advisory goes out to streamers, fintechs in addition to e-commerce firms

India's grocery industry is undergoing a significant shift as quick commerce players have fuelled incremental demands and influenced purchasing behaviour. The increased access to discounts has hit the general trade severely, including the Kirana store.

According to a report by Kearney, modern trade, e-commerce players and quick commerce consistently provide the highest discounts to consumers. E-commerce and modern trade optimize costs with larger delivery sizes and higher-value baskets, enabling them to offer significant discounts. On the other hand, discounts in quick commerce drop by about 200 to 250 basis points. 

According to the analysis, modern trade's 'discount versus MRP' stood at 17.8%, followed by e-commerce at 16.7%, quick commerce at 6-9%, and Kirana at 2-5%, respectively.

	
<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>

However, in terms of employment generation, quick commerce, and general trade were in the same line. 

"General trade is the most labour-intensive channel, employing 63 to 66 people per Rs 1 crore of monthly Gross Merchandise Value (GMV). Whereas quick commerce generated 62 to 64 jobs per Rs 1 crore of monthly GMV".

Quick commerce has shifted sales from e-grocery, modern trade, and Kirana stores, but it remains inconsistent across all categories.

According to Kearney, consumers are still purchasing fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) from Kirana, indicating a preference for handpicked non-packaged items. However, snacking, and confectionery, such as munchies, chocolates, and cold beverages are more frequently purchased on quick commerce platforms for instant consumption.

Overall, for all sales happening via quick commerce, a 6 to 8% share is purely incremental, while the rest is coming at the expense of sales from other channels--predominantly modern trade and e-commerce followed by general trade outlets.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/cait-demands-luxury-tax-on-quick-commerce-62980.htm">CAIT demands luxury tax on quick commerce</a>

The report suggested that kirana stores and modern trade outlets will need to enhance efficiency and streamline operations to remain competitive alongside the growing influence of quick commerce.

According to a report by Kearney, India's grocery sector, including food fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), non-food FMCG, and fruits and vegetables, is expected to grow by 8% to reach Rs 78 lakh crore by 2029.

"Going forward, quick commerce is expected to play a larger role in the retail sector, coexisting with other channels while continuously adapting to market dynamics and consumer preferences," the report added.

Quick commerce disrupts India's grocery industry, kirana stores hit hard: Kearney

In the hypercharged quick commerce (q-comm) sector, grocery delivery isn’t the only thing arriving in under 10 minutes. Lately, so are accusations, shade-laced social media posts, and strategic callouts, often straight from the founders’ personal handles.

The spark? A recent public post by Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha that, without naming names, rebutted claims circulating on social media about price manipulation and brand favoritism. It was seen as a direct response to rival whisper campaigns. In doing so, Palicha not only aired internal platform metrics but reignited a pattern of founder-led reputation management that’s fast becoming the norm in India’s consumer-tech battleground.

But this is not just about Zepto. It’s about the moment quick commerce finds itself in: commoditized, low-margin, and too crowded to grow peacefully. And like the Cola Wars of the past, today’s q-comm brand battles are heating up—only now they’re messier, faster, and playing out in public.

Visibility > Value?

Rahul Mathur, founder-turned-VC, argues that what’s playing out isn’t just competition, it’s a visibility war. “The Zepto, Blinkit, InstaMart minutes, and any future quick commerce player are providing a commodity service,” he explains. “If you take Bezos’s mental model of price, convenience and selection, there’s little differentiation unless you get into niche, high-margin categories. But those don’t drive daily transactions. So, if I keep hearing about the Zepto founder, I might just open the Zepto app.”

In a space where price points are nearly identical and fulfillment speeds barely vary, brand recall especially driven by founder presence becomes a weapon.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/from-free-tomatoes-to-hidden-fees-a-sneak-peek-into-the-world-of-q-commerce-manipulation-49806.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">From free tomatoes to hidden fees: A sneak peek into the world of q-commerce manipulation</a>

Ashish Kaul, a professor of marketing, sees a more systemic issue. “We’re seeing a pattern of reckless behavior, often fueled by a culture that glorifies aggression. Start-ups thrive on hyper-competition, but the focus has shifted from consumer benefit to investor attention. That’s when it turns bitter.”

He points out that in this case, there was a clear aggressor and a respondent. Zepto, he believes, walked a tightrope well: “Staying silent could’ve distorted facts. But responding too harshly would’ve escalated things. Their statement was factual, respectful and allowed investors to verify claims themselves.”

A Collapse of Decorum?

Ankur Bisen, Senior Partner and Head - Consumer, Food & Retail, Technopak Advisors, contextualizes the spat within a longer arc. “If you rewind to the 80s and 90s, when India’s FMCG or auto sectors were growing, there was no public bickering. There was a decorum. What we’re seeing today is a collapse of that value system in the Indian startup ecosystem.”

He calls it particularly damaging given the aspirational status of startup founders among India’s youth. “When founders behave recklessly in public, it sets a poor benchmark. This isn’t an isolated case, it’s a continuation of the toxic dynamics we saw in edtech, Paytm, and BharatPe.”

Bisen also challenges the underlying promise of quick commerce itself. “It’s an oversold idea. Most demand comes from four to five city clusters. It doesn’t scale well into Tier 2 or rural India due to high fulfillment costs. If this market were truly growing robustly, everyone would be doing well. The fact that we’re seeing mudslinging shows players are now eating into each other’s limited market share.”

The Zepto Factor

Satish Meena, founder at Datum Intelligence echoes that analysis. “Customer acquisition has slowed. After the initial high-growth phase, it’s now about poaching from each other. Zepto is particularly in the spotlight, they’re newer and still building operations, so they’re easier to criticize.”

He also points out that Palicha’s communication style isn’t new. “Some founders follow the Elon Musk model, direct, personal, public. Others, like Flipkart’s Kalyan Krishnamurthy, keep quiet and let the company speak. Aadit belongs to the first camp, and I expect he’ll continue.”

But unlike traditional brand wars, q-commerce platforms are intermediaries, not product owners. That complicates things. “Platforms are judged on scalability, fairness, and how they treat brands,” Meena says. “This makes the game far messier. Blinkit, Zepto, BigBasket, Amazon, Flipkart, and JioMart are all in or circling. It’s going to get bloodier.”

What Happens Next

As customer growth plateaus and margins remain thin, q-commerce platforms will keep trying to differentiate in the most aggressive ways possible, whether that’s app nudges, exclusivity deals or carefully timed founder statements. But the question remains: in a business built on trust and convenience, can smear tactics ever deliver lasting brand value?

Or are we watching the startup equivalent of a food fight—messy, viral, and a little juvenile?

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/the-accessibility-gap-why-the-biggest-apps-still-exclude-millions-64997.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Accessibility Gap: Why the biggest apps still exclude millions</a>

Inside quick commerce brand wars: Smear tactics, platform fights and founder feuds

While the quick commerce sector has continued its blitz through India’s urban landscapes, it is facing a severe challenge of high attrition among the gig workforce. The massive volatility in the delivery workforce has remained a structural challenge in quick commerce and ecommerce platforms, such as Flipkart, Amazon, Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart, According to a report by TeamLease Services, as many as 31% of the employers have lamented over the voluntary exits of gig workers. 

While there can be multiple reasons for high attrition, the report underscored that "platform-switching behavior, lack of long-term incentives, and the transitory nature of gig work," are the key factors the behind this trend.

Notably, the increased cost pressure has impacted the wages of the workers. Factors such as customer acquisition offers, free returns, and tight delivery deadlines have compressed the margins of e-commerce and quick commerce platforms. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/57-of-gig-workers-find-15-minute-deliveries-stressful-borzo-report-63003.htm">57% of gig workers find 15-minute deliveries stressful: Borzo report</a>

The report mentioned, "Platforms are finding it harder to balance wage inflation in metros and tier-1 cities with sustainable unit economics. The competition is fierce—and every rupee saved or lost at the labor level adds up at scale".

The other major human resource challenge for quick commerce companies is 'time-bound hiring'. 25% of employers said that delays in onboarding can elevate churn risk. 

'Expansion in gig roles'

Further, the report observed a the rise in job roles of gig workers, which is no more confined to delivery riders or freelancers, but is evolving into a strategic muscle across high-skill domains. 

According to the report, 64% of employers report rising gig adoption in sales and customer service. Companies are leaning on contractual CX agents, outsourced telesales teams, and platform-based service models. Gig-based support also rising for inventory turnover, just-in-time logistics, and micro-fulfillment is gaining ground, especially in FMCG, Q-commerce, and D2C ecosystems.

<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>

Besides, finance and accounting are also relying on gig professionals for short-cycle needs such as internal audits, reconciliations, and regulatory filings—particularly around tax season support or compliance projects. Around 33% of the employers are now using gig talent in strategic domains—from product design and UX research to market entry consulting and GTM strategy. 

According to Kartik Narayan, CEO-Staffing, TeamLease Services, "The future lies not in simply expanding headcount, but in shaping highly specialized, flexible teams that can scale, evolve, and thrive amid continuous market shifts. By fostering such talent ecosystems, companies will not only adapt but will lead India’s workforce into a new era of growth and opportunity".

Quick commerce faces high attrition challenge of gig workforce: TeamLease

Quick-commerce platform Zepto has issued an official response following serious allegations filed against it by the Rajdhani App Workers' Union (RAWU), which accused the company and its third-party delivery partner Kilton Geo Engineering Pvt. Ltd. of labour law violations under its Rural Mobilisation Programme (RMP) in Delhi.

RAWU’s complaint, submitted to the Delhi Labour Department, alleged exploitative working conditions, wage discrepancies, arbitrary dismissals and digital bonded labour affecting nearly 50 delivery workers employed through Zepto’s RMP. The union further criticized the company’s operational model for bypassing legal protections by treating workers as independent contractors rather than full-time employees entitled to basic entitlements such as minimum wage, ESI and provident fund.

In response, Zepto acknowledged the allegations and stated that it is taking the matter "very seriously". The company emphasized that RMP was designed to create "meaningful gigs for young people from rural India" and highlighted that over 30% of participants earn more than Rs 35,000 a month on average.

“While Zepto provides the technology and operational guidelines, day-to-day activities and vendor oversight are managed by local store management,” the company clarified in its statement shared with Storyboard18. A full audit has been launched into the operations of Kilton Geo Engineering Pvt. Ltd., the vendor at the center of the controversy.

Zepto outlined several rebuttals to the allegations. The company in its statement said that the EV rentals are optional and all costs are transparently communicated. The platform’s technology system does not allow “temporary IDs” or impersonation. In addition to this, no joining bonuses are part of the RMP offering; and food and accommodation support is provided by vendors for up to 45 days and is subject to quality checks. Riders may opt out at any time.

The company added that it possesses photographic evidence and internal data to substantiate its claims and is expanding audits across all RMP locations nationwide to ensure vendor compliance with ethical and operational standards.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/fssai-tightens-compliance-fbos-must-submit-closure-reports-after-license-expiry-66648.htm">FSSAI tightens compliance: FBOs must submit closure reports after license expiry</a>

“This appears to be a localized issue and does not reflect the broader intent or functioning of the RMP,” the Zepto spokesperson said, reiterating the firm’s "zero-tolerance policy for malpractice" and commitment to "dignity, transparency and opportunity" for all delivery partners.

The Delhi Labour Department is expected to initiate a preliminary inquiry into the allegations. The case could set a precedent for how India’s gig economy platforms are held accountable for the treatment of their frontline workforce.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/ipo-bound-zepto-faces-labour-complaint-in-delhi-over-worker-exploitation-allegations-66650.htm">IPO-bound Zepto faces labour complaint in Delhi over worker exploitation allegations</a>

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