The Making of India's 'Quick Economy

Urban India is entering a defining moment in its consumption journey, the second wave of speedy doorstep services. The first wave is now part of everyday life. Quick commerce apps have changed how people stock up on groceries and purchase medicines or electronics. In just a few years, convenience stopped being 'optional' and speed has become the norm.

- AMIT GUPTA Co-founder & CEO, Yulu

That shift is now spilling over into new categories. Companies such as Snabbit, Yufy and Pronto are testing whether services such as cooking, cleaning and laundry can be delivered with the same urgency, reliability and convenience as a grocery order.

But the 'launch pad' that's enabling these new services was not built overnight. It is the result of two foundational factors, pathbreaking quick commerce business models that created customer demand for quick commerce, and an extraordinary hyperlocal mobility backbone that makes short-distance transport efficient and speedy.

These are the ingredients and how these have contributed to the making of the blockbuster that we like to call the 'Quick India movement'.

Changing Expectations

The quick economy, i.e., the agglomeration of businesses and services built around quick doorstep fulfilment, is reshaping how urban Indians live their daily lives through convenience and speed. Not long ago, running out of spices or veggies was a disaster that would derail your dinner plans. A late-evening toothache meant either dragging yourself to the pharmacy or risking a sleepless night. Meanwhile, the idea of snacks reaching your doorstep in 10 minutes seemed like science fiction.