Blinkit to set up 3,000 dark stores by March 2027, says CEO Albinder Dhindsa

Blinkit to set up 3,000 dark stores by March 2027, says CEO Albinder Dhindsa

Blinkit plans to expand its dark store network to 3,000 by March 2027, nearly doubling its footprint, CEO Albinder Dhindsa said, outlining the company’s next phase of growth after a year of rapid expansion.

The move signals that the Eternal-owned quick commerce firm is set to maintain its aggressive rollout pace as demand for faster delivery continues to rise across major Indian cities.

As of the September quarter (Q2FY26), Blinkit operated 1,816 dark stores — up from 1,544 in the previous quarter and 791 a year ago. It added 272 new stores during the quarter, keeping up a steady rhythm of expansion.

Dhindsa said Blinkit now expects to reach 2,100 stores by December 2025, slightly higher than its earlier guidance of 2,000. "We have been maintaining our quarterly rate of net store additions consistently for the last few quarters, and given what we know today, we think we should be able to get to 3,000 stores by March 2027," he said in a letter to shareholders.

Where will Blinkit add these stores?

Even as Blinkit expands into newer towns, Dhindsa said most of the new dark stores will continue to come up in the country’s largest consumption hubs. About 70–75 percent of the new stores, he noted, are still being added in the top 10 cities where order volumes and frequency remain highest.

"While the number of cities we operate in continues to explode, the number of stores in these new cities is very small," Dhindsa said during Eternal’s Q2 investor call. "A majority of the business, and its success, is still linked to how well we do in the top 8–10 cities, and that remains the focus."

Dark stores — compact warehouses located close to residential clusters — remain critical to Blinkit’s promise of near-instant deliveries. The dense, city-centric network allows the company to fulfil more orders per hour while optimising costs and retention.

How is the expansion affecting profitability?

The rapid buildout of dark stores has pushed up Blinkit's costs in the short term. The company reported an EBITDA loss of Rs 156 crore in Q2FY26, compared to Rs 8 crore in the same quarter last year, largely due to store additions and higher operational expenses. Sequentially, however, losses narrowed from Rs 162 crore in the June quarter, signalling some early cost discipline.

Revenue rose 756 percent year-on-year to Rs 9,891 crore, aided by Blinkit's shift to an inventory-led model that gives it greater control over pricing and availability. Net order value grew 137 percent to Rs 11,679 crore, while average monthly transacting users more than doubled to 20.8 million from 8.9 million a year ago. The average order value stayed steady at Rs 524.

What's happening in the quick commerce market?

Blinkit's expansion push comes at a time when the quick commerce segment is witnessing a fresh wave of investment and store expansion. Swiggy's Instamart has been ramping up its store count, while Flipkart and Amazon are deepening their presence in the segment with Minutes and Amazon Now to capture urban demand for faster grocery and essentials delivery.

Rival Zepto has also secured new funding — a $450 million round led by US pension fund Calpers and existing investor General Catalyst — to better compete with rivals.

With competition intensifying, Dhindsa's 3,000-store target reflects Blinkit's intent to sustain its pace of growth while improving operating efficiency. As India's quick commerce race shifts from speed to scale, execution and economics are likely to decide who stays ahead in the delivery game.