India’s labor ministry has asked leading quick-commerce platforms to stop advertising 10-minute deliveries, signaling a decisive shift toward worker safety and more realistic service expectations. According to reporting attributed to Bloomberg, Labor and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met executives from Zomato-owned Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto, urging them to drop speed-based promises and focus on safer working conditions for delivery partners.
The appeal targets a hallmark of India’s ultrafast delivery boom: the hard countdown that has defined the category’s marketing. While companies may still strive for near-instant fulfillment, the government’s message is clear—wellness and safety should not be subordinated to stopwatch-driven campaigns.
Worker Safety And Regulatory Pressure Intensifies
Concerns over road safety and algorithmic pressure have grown alongside quick commerce. Labor groups say rigid SLAs encourage risky driving and penalize riders for delays beyond their control, from traffic congestion to extreme weather. During a peak holiday period, gig worker unions reported large, coordinated protests across major cities demanding social security, better pay, and curbs on automated penalties. The Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers was among the organizations amplifying these demands, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
India has also begun codifying a safety net for millions of gig and platform workers. Under new labor rules, aggregators such as food-delivery and ride-hailing platforms are required to contribute 1% to 2% of annual revenue—capped at 5% of payments to workers—to a government-managed social security fund. The policy aims to finance benefits like insurance and accident coverage, responding to a workforce that has outpaced traditional employment categories.
The backdrop is sobering. Government data consistently shows high road fatality numbers nationally, underscoring why speed guarantees have drawn scrutiny. HR experts note that shaving minutes off delivery times increases stress and risk, particularly in dense urban corridors where traffic patterns are unpredictable.
What Changes For Platforms And Shoppers Next
A retreat from the “10 minutes or less” pitch does not necessarily mean slower service. It does, however, signal a marketing and operational recalibration. Bloomberg reported that Blinkit has already removed its 10-minute messaging, with rivals expected to follow. In practice, companies can keep leveraging their dense “dark store” networks and inventory algorithms while replacing hard promises with ranges like “fast” or “lightning” delivery and adding buffers for rider safety.
Expect adjustments across the stack: route planning with safer speed assumptions, fewer automated penalties tied to rigid timers, and incentives that favor compliance and safe riding over micro-optimizing minutes. Some platforms are likely to introduce dynamic SLAs that vary by distance, time of day, and local traffic conditions, reducing the need for risky shortcuts.
For consumers, the difference may be more semantic than experiential. Orders in major metros will still arrive quickly thanks to hyperlocal stocking and high-order density; they just won’t be tied to a countdown clock. This reframing reduces legal and reputational risk for platforms while helping align customer expectations with safety-first operations.
Business Impact And The Broader Market Context
India’s quick-commerce model has scaled faster than comparable efforts in many Western markets, helped by population density, shorter average trip distances, and a strong appetite for convenience. Redseer Strategy Consultants has estimated that India’s quick-commerce gross merchandise value could surpass $5B by mid-decade, reflecting both frequency and basket expansion as categories broaden beyond groceries to electronics, personal care, and essentials.
Still, speed is expensive. Ultrafast SLAs compress batching and reduce route flexibility, pushing up unit costs. Removing the 10-minute promise could marginally ease cost pressures by enabling smarter batching and more predictable fulfillment. It may also reduce churn among delivery partners, where retention is sensitive to earnings stability, safety perceptions, and platform fairness.
For investors, the policy push adds another variable to a sector already balancing growth and profitability. The pivot could be positive if it lowers accident risk and insurance claims, reduces regulatory friction, and improves partner satisfaction—factors that often prove more material than shaving off a few minutes per order.
Why It Matters Now For India’s Quick Commerce Sector
The labor ministry’s stance arrives as India formally recognizes gig and platform workers in law, expanding the state’s role in setting guardrails for a pivotal service economy. NITI Aayog estimated the country had about 7.7 million gig workers in 2020–21, with projections reaching 23.5 million by 2029–30. Quick commerce accounts for a notable slice of this workforce in large cities.
What to watch next:
- Whether platforms standardize safer SLAs across markets
- How enforcement or guidance evolves
- Whether industry bodies articulate common advertising norms
Even without a hard ban, the government’s nudge is likely to redefine the category’s tone—fast when possible, safe by design, and honest about the trade-offs.
