Minutes or Miles?

Flipkart Minutes enters India's booming quick commerce segment, taking on Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart. While supply chain gives it an edge, leadership uncertainty and intense competition pose challenges

- PALAK AGARWAL

INDIA'S QUICK COMMERCE sector has seen an explosive rise from a niche play into a $3.5 billion market in just over four years. By 2030, the industry is projected to touch $40 billion, as per Datum Intelligence.

At the forefront of this boom are Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart, each aggressively expanding their reach. But the battle is far from over. Newer entrants such as BBNow, Amazon's Tez, and Flipkart Minutes—the latest from the Walmart-backed e-commerce giant—are also vying for a foothold in this fast-evolving landscape. This is Flipkart's third attempt at grocery delivery. While it has built a robust foundation this time, sustaining in the high-stakes quick commerce arena remains a formidable challenge.

For now, Flipkart Minutes, launched in August 2024 in Bengaluru, has expanded to Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad, with around 160 dark stores. Sources say the company aims to scale up this network to 500 by March 2025.