Indian in Frankfurt compares Germany’s delivery system with India’s 10-minute model, sparks debate

Sahil Choudhary outlined how delivery practices in Germany operate at a more traditional pace.

An Indian professional residing in Frankfurt drew widespread attention online after reflecting on the striking difference between India’s near-instant delivery ecosystem and Germany’s measured approach to logistics.

In a recent LinkedIn post, Sahil Choudhary described how people in Germany reacted with disbelief when he spoke about the speed of India’s quick-commerce platforms, such as Blinkit and Zepto, which deliver groceries and essentials within minutes. To them, he said, the idea of a 10-minute delivery seemed so fast it felt “like teleportation.”

Choudhary outlined how delivery practices in Germany operate at a more traditional pace. Orders typically arrive within a few working days and deliveries are restricted to business hours, with weekends excluded. In contrast, he noted, Indian cities function through an expansive system of compact warehouses—commonly referred to as dark stores—and thousands of riders who navigate urban traffic to fulfil orders in record time.

“Here in Germany, forget instant delivery, your parcel arrives only during specific business hours. No deliveries on weekends, and painful return procedures,” he wrote. “Back home, logistics runs on caffeine. Thousands of riders weaving through traffic, dark stores every 500 metres, and ETAs that defy physics. This speed has stimulated the economy in a way even policy couldn’t — boosted consumption, created liquidity, and employed millions across India.”

He added that the country’s rapid delivery system, while remarkable, also carries social and environmental costs. “When I tell Germans about this, they stare at me in disbelief, like I’m describing teleportation. It makes India sound more first world than the first world itself. But the cost of this speed is paid by the ones racing to deliver it — low wages, long hours, rising pollution. It chokes roads with traffic and still bleeds bottom lines. But still, we’ve innovated an extraordinary capability that we can potentially scale to redefine global logistics.”

The post quickly gained traction, prompting a range of responses from professionals across sectors. Some admired the way Choudhary articulated India’s strength in logistics innovation, while others questioned the sustainability and ethics behind such speed.

One user commented on the disparity in how labour is perceived across continents, writing: “What Europe treats as a scarce and protected resource, India still treats as an abundant and replaceable one. The same demographic dividend that powers our instant delivery ecosystem could have been our greatest innovation dividend — if only we invested in upskilling, fair wages, and human dignity. Speed is impressive, but sustainability comes when that speed doesn’t come at the cost of the people who enable it. It’s time we see our delivery riders not as the ‘couriers of convenience,’ but as the backbone of a modern economy that must learn to respect and uplift its workforce.”

Another respondent offered a different perspective, saying: “This comparison misses the essence of what makes a system first world. Germany’s ‘five business days’ isn’t inefficiency — it’s discipline. It’s a society that values predictability over chaos, people over convenience, and sustainability over speed.”

Other users echoed broader concerns about overconsumption and the loss of human connection in modern lifestyles. “Much as I like the convenience of getting stuff in 10 minutes, it simply leads to over-consumerism, which I definitely am not a fan of,” one user said.

Another added, “Instant delivery feels convenient but fuels isolation. Even small errands like grocery runs can offer moments of connection — something we’re losing.”