Walmart-owned Flipkart , an important player in India's ecommerce sector, has introduced a new quick commerce service called Flipkart Minutes. The service, which is currently being rolled out in select areas of Bengaluru, promises delivery of a variety of items, including groceries and electronics, within 10 to 15 minutes.

Orders priced above INR 100 (approximately USD 1.20) will benefit from free delivery. According to TechCrunch, quick commerce has been gaining traction in India despite mixed results in other regions. This business model, which relies on numerous small warehouses or ‘dark stores’ located near residential and business districts, aims to offer rapid delivery services.

In recent months, quick commerce has expanded into new categories such as fashion and electronics, competing directly with established ecommerce giants such as Amazon. In a separate development, in July 2024, Flipkart merged all its payment and fintech offerings under a single vertical named Flipkart Pay to enable seamless payments for customers. The company believed this would allow customers to get a better experience right from the touchpoint, making it a one-stop-destination for them to avail of Flipkart's constructs of affordability and accessibility.

Quick commerce in India The quick commerce sector in India has demonstrated significant growth and resilience. Services offering 10-minute grocery deliveries have resonated with urban consumers, benefiting companies such as Zomato-owned Blinkit, Zepto (backed by StepStone), and SoftBank-backed Swiggy Instamart. The sector is also attracting attention from investors.

Goldman Sachs has valued Blinkit, a leading player in the quick commerce space, at a higher worth than Zomato's core food delivery operations. TechCrunch further reports that Zomato's stock recently peaked at around SUSD 30 billion in market capitalisation, following a report of a quarterly profit of about USD 30 million. Zomato acquired Blinkit for under USD 600 million in 2022.

While Flipkart dominates the broader ecommerce market in India, Amazon retains a stronger foothold among urban consumers. Flipkart's move into quick commerce could potentially reflect a strategy to capture some of Amazon's key customers in the Indian market. .