Two years after launch, Walmart's Flipkart is closing in on India's quick-commerce leaders

Walmart-owned Flipkart is rapidly closing the gap with India’s established quick-commerce leaders, two years after launching its instant-delivery service. Flipkart Minutes, which debuted in August 2024, is now handling roughly 1.1 million to 1.2 million orders per day, up from about 390,000 to 400,000 in November, according to people familiar with the matter. That volume puts the service close to Swiggy’s Instamart, which delivers around 1.4 million orders daily. The milestone is significant for a late entrant in a market long dominated by three players.

Blinkit still leads India’s quick-commerce segment with 3.4 million to 3.6 million daily orders, followed by Zepto at 2.4 million to 2.6 million, per estimates from market research firm Datum Intelligence. Instamart, the smallest of the top three by order volume, remains a substantial operation with over 14 million monthly transacting users and more than 1,200 dark stores across over 130 cities. Flipkart’s rise is driven by rapid infrastructure expansion, with Minutes now operating about 1,020 to 1,050 micro-fulfillment centers, up from 600 in January and roughly 340 a year earlier. The company is adding around 100 such facilities monthly, targeting 1,500 by the end of 2026.

Flipkart’s existing e-commerce base gives it a built-in audience for Minutes, according to Satish Meena, an adviser at Datum Intelligence. He said the company has already spent years and billions of dollars acquiring customers, making it a serious contender now that it operates 1,000 dark stores and processes a million orders per day. Customer engagement is also strengthening, with 65% to 70% of monthly buyers returning, and transactions per customer up 50% to 60% from a year earlier. Average order value runs about 400 to 500 Indian rupees, or $4.20 to $5.20, with fruits, vegetables, staples, dairy, and meat among the fastest-growing categories. Flipkart is also adding gourmet and organic products to capture higher-end spending.

Delivery times have improved as well, dropping to about 11 minutes from 13 minutes a year ago, one source told TechCrunch. The growth comes even as broader Indian consumer demand shows signs of weakness; Bernstein analysts noted that consumption softened in July, but quick-commerce and e-commerce activity continued to rise, with strong growth in monthly active users on such platforms. Flipkart’s push is also a defensive move, as shoppers increasingly expect instant delivery for certain purchases and may not revert to slower scheduled options.

Amazon is pursuing a similar strategy in India with Amazon Now, its quick-commerce service. During CEO Andy Jassy’s visit to India in June, the company said Now became its fastest-growing business there, with orders doubling every quarter since launch. Amazon plans to expand the service to more than 300 cities and build over 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers alongside larger facilities to widen its instant-delivery product range. Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy, Zepto, and Blinkit parent Eternal did not respond to requests for comment.

Meena told TechCrunch that the quick-commerce expansion is both offensive and defensive for the e-commerce giants. As consumers grow used to near-instant delivery, Flipkart and Amazon risk losing those purchases to specialized quick-commerce platforms if they cannot match the speed. The shift appears permanent, with Meena noting that consumers will not revert to scheduled grocery delivery once accustomed to the faster option.

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