Swiggy, Zepto drop ‘10-minute’ delivery pitch after government directive

Blinkit

Quick commerce firms Swiggy and IPO-bound Zepto have altered the branding of their rapid delivery services, moving away from explicitly marketing them as "10-minute" deliveries, following a government directive, a Reuters report said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday that the government had instructed Eternal's Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy to stop promoting grocery deliveries under the "10-minute" promise. The move comes amid concerns over rider safety and labour practices, with fears that strict delivery timelines encourage rash driving and penalise workers for delays.

India's quick-commerce sector, currently valued at about $11.5 billion, has faced growing scrutiny, according to data from Datum Intelligence.

"The removal of the 10-minute delivery catchline is largely optics-driven rather than business-altering," said Karan Taurani, executive vice president at Elara Capital. "Quick commerce continues to be anchored in speed, convenience and proximity-led fulfilment, which remains structurally superior to traditional e-commerce timelines," he added.

Eternal clarified on Tuesday that there has been no change to Blinkit's underlying business model. Zepto declined to comment, while Swiggy did not immediately respond to a Reuters query.

Sources told Reuters that the labour ministry raised the issue during a closed-door meeting on Saturday with representatives of the three companies, urging them to stop advertising deliveries as a 10-minute service.

Despite the branding shift, competition in India's quick-commerce space remains intense, with companies investing billions to expand dark store networks as urban consumers increasingly opt for ultra-fast delivery of items ranging from groceries to electronics.