India’s Quick Commerce (Q‑Commerce) sector surged to ₹64,000 crore in FY25 (Fiscal Year 2025), with gross order value expected to triple by FY28 (Fiscal Year 2028), a major headache for brands struggling to match the speed of Blinkit, Instamart & Zepto. In a world where delivery times define loyalty, logistics efficiency can make or break a brand.
Remember when “same-day delivery” was a luxury? In 2025, 10-minute delivery is the new norm in urban India. Groceries, snacks, even chargers, consumers expect them now, not later.
But there’s a catch: delivering lightning-fast isn’t easy. It demands smarter tools, tighter warehousing, and data-backed logistics. This blog breaks down the strategies, features, and trends you need to know if you want to compete in the Q‑Commerce era.
Quick Commerce India 2025
Quick Commerce, or Q-Commerce, is the next evolution of eCommerce, focused on delivering products in under 30 minutes. In India, it’s driven by rising consumer demand for speed, convenience, and everyday essentials. From groceries to gadgets, Q-Commerce is reshaping how India shops, faster, smarter, and more local.
What used to be a premium service is now the baseline expectation. In today’s hyper-competitive eCommerce landscape, speed isn’t a luxury, it’s the new currency of customer loyalty. Shoppers no longer see 24-hour delivery as a perk; they see it as standard. And if you can’t meet that expectation, they’ll find a brand that can, within minutes.
- 20% of India’s eCommerce is now dominated by Q‑Commerce, says ET Retail.
- Brands that used to focus on 2–3 day shipping are now racing to build dark stores and hyperlocal delivery networks.
Every delay isn’t just a missed delivery, it’s a lost customer. In 2025, speed is strategy. If you’re not delivering faster, you’re losing faster, plain and simple.
Today’s consumers have zero patience for delays. Convenience is everything, and speed is non-negotiable. If your brand can’t deliver quickly and reliably, it won’t take long for customers to switch to a competitor who can. In a world of instant gratification, loyalty is only as strong as your last delivery.
Key Features to Evaluate in a Q‑Commerce Platform
To thrive in the fast-paced world of quick commerce, brands need more than just ambition, they need the right tools and systems in place. From order management to last-mile delivery, every component must work in sync to meet customer expectations. Choosing the right tech stack can make the difference between scaling smoothly or falling behind. Here’s what matters most.
Dark Store Proximity
Having dark stores or micro-warehouses close to where your customers live means faster order fulfillment. In quick commerce, speed is everything, so the closer your inventory, the faster you can pack, ship, and deliver. This setup helps brands meet tight delivery windows, especially in urban areas.
Real-Time Inventory Sync
Nothing frustrates a customer more than placing an order only to hear it’s out of stock. Real-time inventory syncing across platforms ensures your stock levels are accurate at all times. It prevents overselling, reduces cancellations, and keeps the shopping experience smooth.
Route Optimization & AI
Delivering fast isn’t just about distance; it’s also about smart routing. AI-powered route optimization tools help drivers avoid traffic, take the best paths, and deliver more packages in less time. This means better efficiency and happier customers
Multi-Carrier Allocation
Relying on just one delivery partner can slow you down. With multi-carrier allocation, brands can pick from a pool of logistics providers depending on speed, location, and cost. It adds flexibility to your last-mile delivery and ensures coverage across all pin codes.
API Integrations
Quick commerce demands real-time communication between systems. API integrations connect your order, warehouse, and shipping platforms, so that orders, returns, and updates flow without delay. The smoother the sync, the faster your fulfillment cycle.
Scalable Warehouse Management (WMS)
A smart WMS helps you handle fast-moving products and bulk SKUs efficiently. It allows quick picking, packing, and dispatching without manual errors. As demand grows, a scalable WMS ensures your operations don’t slow down.
Dashboard Analytics
To succeed in Q-commerce, you need more than speed; you need insight. Analytics dashboards track key metrics like SLA breaches, NDRs, and RTO rates. These insights help you spot issues early and make faster, data-driven decisions to improve performance.
Q-Commerce Platforms Compared: Who’s Winning the Speed Game?
| Platform | Avg. Delivery Time | Market Share (FY25) | Notable Strength |
| Blinkit | 10–15 min | ~46% | Aggressive warehousing model |
| Zepto | 8–10 min | ~28% | Strong tech + funding |
| Swiggy Instamart | 15–30 min | ~25% | Scale via gig fleet |
| Big Basket Now | 20–30 min | 7% | Inventory spread |
| Flipkart Minutes | 15 min | Emerging | Walmart’s supply chain edge |
Each player focuses on SKU depth, pin code strategy, and smart delivery logic. The race is no longer about just speed, but how smart your backend is.
Trends & Data Insights: Where Q‑Commerce is Headed
The quick commerce race is heating up fast, and every major player is shifting gears to stay ahead. From 10-minute delivery promises to tech-fueled dark store networks, the game is no longer about just selling; it’s about who delivers first.
1. Profitability Is Still a Question Mark
The race to be the fastest has come at a cost. Even the top quick commerce players are bleeding cash. Swiggy, despite capturing nearly half the market share, reported a 77% drop in profit, according to Financial Times. Swiggy, another leader in the space, continues to operate at a loss, investing heavily in infrastructure, dark stores, and gig workforce logistics. While customer demand is high, the path to sustainable profitability remains murky. As brands push for instant delivery, the pressure to balance costs, delivery promises, and consumer expectations is only growing.
2. Tier-2 Cities: The Next Frontier
Quick commerce is no longer just a metro play. Cities like Jaipur, Coimbatore, and Lucknow are emerging as hotbeds for Q‑Commerce growth. What’s fueling this shift? A rising demand for regional snacks, affordable essentials, and a growing digital-savvy population. ET Retail notes that brands are actively expanding into these markets to unlock new revenue streams and brand loyalty. The challenge? Logistics infrastructure in smaller cities needs to catch up, but the first movers are already building that edge.
3. Category Diversification
Gone are the days when Q‑Commerce was just about bananas and bread. In 2025, platforms are expanding their catalogs into non-grocery verticals like:
- Personal care products (face wash, razors, cosmetics)
- Health supplements (protein powders, vitamins)
- Small gadgets (chargers, earbuds)
- Pet food and essentials
This expansion not only increases average order value but also brings in more repeat purchases. Brands need a WMS and inventory strategy flexible enough to handle diverse SKUs and fluctuating demand across categories, price points, and geographies.
4. Rise of the Hybrid Model
Q‑Commerce and traditional eCommerce are no longer separate lanes-they’re merging. Giants like Amazon and Flipkart are now experimenting with micro-fulfillment centers, blending speed with scale. These setups allow them to retain their vast product variety while fulfilling select orders within hours. This hybrid model is shaping the future of delivery: a wide assortment backed by instant delivery for high-demand categories. For mid-size brands, this signals a need to rethink fulfillment partnerships and build modular logistics infrastructure.
The Fast Lane Is Getting Crowded
In 2025, the consumer journey is no longer linear; it’s instant, impulsive, and impatient. They tap, scroll, and expect your brand to be ready before they are.
In this fast-moving Q‑Commerce landscape, operational agility is everything. That’s why many brands are turning to logistics enablers that offer modular, API-driven systems to streamline fulfillment. Platforms like eShipz help bridge the gaps between order processing, warehouse coordination, and last-mile delivery, especially when multiple carriers and high-volume SKUs are involved. With features like real-time shipment tracking, automated label generation, and centralized dashboards, such tools support brands in maintaining speed without sacrificing accuracy or visibility.
If your logistics stack isn’t built for instant updates, flexible warehousing, and route-smart dispatch, you’ll be left behind.
Today’s customer doesn’t ask for fast, they expect it.
Meet them there, or lose them forever.
Ready to deliver like never before? Start building a logistics stack that moves at the speed of your customers. Connect with us
Resources: 3Winai, MetricsCart, Cornel cS College of Business, Quash