India’s '10-minute' delivery craze

Business Daily

BBC

News, Business

4.4 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 22 June 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Groceries delivered to your doorstep in just 10 minutes? India’s online platforms are promising this instant delivery for millions of shoppers – items at your door in between 10 and 30 mins.

But behind the convenience lies a deeper story - exhausted gig workers, struggling family-run stores, and questions about the long-term sustainability of the business model.

We look at the real cost of India’s quick commerce, or Q-commerce, industry.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]

Presented and produced by Devina Gupta

(Picture: A Swiggy delivery rider and a rider for rival brand Zepto on their bikes with delivery boxes in Mumbai, India. Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Business Daily from the BBC World Service.
0:04.7	Namaste, I'm Divina Gupta in the Indian capital Delhi.
0:09.2	Today, for millions of urban Indians, a digital trend is changing the way they shop.
0:14.7	It's like an online convenience store for me.
0:16.6	And this one says it can deliver a bag of chips in just 10 minutes.
0:19.6	And what does this quick commerce or Q commerce mean for India's traditional mom and pop stores?
0:26.4	50% of our sales are affected because it's convenient for the customer to order online.
0:31.7	And is it a business model that can last?
0:34.3	Any startup today is being put on so much tremendous growth pressure
0:38.8	that they are all playing catch-up with each other.
0:41.5	More than deep pockets, we have to have deeper patients and more patient-capped.
0:45.4	India's booming quick commerce industry, all coming up on today's program.
0:54.0	Hi! How are you?
0:56.4	30-year-old, Tripti Garg is expecting her first baby any day now.
1:01.1	Tripti's staying home these days.
1:02.9	But when a craving strikes, an instant delivery app is her go-to.
1:07.5	I feel like having chips, so I can choose from many options that we have.
1:11.0	It's like an online store, an online convenience store for me.
1:14.2	And this one says it can deliver a bag of chips in just 10 minutes.
1:17.9	So should we choose this?
1:19.2	The app is showing different brands and there are prices mentioned for each bag of chips
1:23.9	at the bottom.
	...

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