Quick Commerce Players Do Away With 10-min Delivery
AAP MP Raghav Chadha had demanded regulations for quick commerce and other app-based delivery and service businesses, emphasising the need for social security benefits for gig workers
New Delhi: In a major relief to gig workers, the Central government on Tuesday is learnt to have urged quick-commerce companies such as Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato, Swiggy and others to discontinue the marketing and branding of 10-minute delivery services to protect the rights of delivery workers.
The government’s move comes amid increased scrutiny of India’s fast-growing e-commerce sector after a nationwide flash strike by gig workers raised questions about the sustainability of the 10-minute delivery model in view of the safety of delivery partners.
Union labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a meeting with leading platforms, including Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy, last week to address issues related to delivery timelines.
“The minister nudged companies to stop branding ultra-fast delivery promises as part of an effort to ensure greater safety, security and improved working conditions for gig workers,” the sources said.
“Most delivery aggregators have agreed to remove 10-minute delivery branding and marketing. However, other platforms are expected to follow in the coming days,” the sources added.
Following the meeting, sources said, “Blinkit has already acted on the directive and removed the 10-minute delivery promise from its branding.” It has revised its tagline from “10,000-plus products delivered in 10 minutes” to “30,000-plus products delivered at your doorstep”.
As per industry estimates, over two lakh delivery riders are learnt to have refused to deliver food, groceries and other orders across India on New Year’s Eve, demanding better pay, safety and dignity, and calling for an end to ultra-fast delivery timelines.
Critics have argued that such timelines could encourage risky behaviour on congested roads, while companies maintain that riders are not formally timed.
The gig workforce in India is projected to reach 23.5 million by 2030 — nearly three times its size a decade earlier — adding urgency to policy discussions on worker protection in the sector. The issue has also contributed to investor concerns amid discussions on expanding social security coverage for gig workers under the new labour codes.
Reacting to the government’s request, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) welcomed the Centre’s decision to stop the 10-minute delivery service offered by quick-commerce platforms.
During the monsoon session of Parliament in 2024, CAIT national secretary general and MP Praveen Khandelwal had raised the issue in the House. “CAIT has continuously warned that unrealistic timelines such as 10-minute delivery force delivery personnel to take life-threatening risks. This step shows that the government is fully sensitive and committed to the safety, dignity and lives of gig workers,” Khandelwal said.
