Time is money, and nobody understands this better than the quick commerce players in India. The Indian consumer demands instant karma and now expects all needs, wants, and desires delivered pronto, to their doorsteps within minutes. Quick commerce is booming in the country and how. 

To meet the surging demand, India's ‘last-minute apps’ have expanded beyond household staples to sporting goods, beauty products, electronics (including the latest iPhone), jewelry, and innerwear. Even festive shopping which was traditionally considered to be a ‘planned’ purchase is seeing a shift to ‘impulse-driven’, according to a recent report.

Tonic Worldwide’s Festive Report 2024 notes a 22% surge in monthly active users on the top five quick commerce platforms, including Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart, ahead of the festive season. With this, the Q-comm startups are giving e-commerce giants like Amazon, Flipkart, and Bigbasket a run for their money, pushing them to get onto the ‘quick delivery’ bandwagon. 

Flipkart recently launched 'Flipkart Minutes', while BigBasket has come up with 'BB Now' for rapid deliveries. Amazon is also gearing up to enter the space by 2025.
 
Additionally, Q-comm is reshaping India's retail supply chain, leveling the field for emerging brands by erasing the advantage once held by dominant FMCG players. As competition heats up, both established and D2C brands are vying for premium slots on these platforms, paying steep commissions to stay visible in this high-stakes market.

Manifest speaks to Kalyan Undinty, head of e-commerce, Mindshare, India, Manish Gupta, president, sales consumer care division, Emami, Chirag Gupta, founder, 4700BC, N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research, and Harish Bijoor, business & brand-strategy expert to understand this meteoric rise of quick commerce, that has led to this paradigm shift in brand and consumer expectations.
 
Read the full feature in the October issue of Manifest. Get your copy here. For subscription options click here.