Blinkit has quietly dropped its much talked about 10 minute delivery promise, marking a significant moment for India’s fast growing quick commerce industry. The change follows intervention by the Union Ministry of Labour and comes in the aftermath of a nationwide gig worker strike on New Year’s Eve 2025 that brought rider safety, health and income concerns into sharp focus.

The Zomato owned platform has removed the claim from its app, website and marketing communication. While Blinkit has not announced any change in its actual delivery operations, the symbolic shift away from a hard time bound promise reflects growing regulatory and social pressure on quick commerce companies to rethink how speed is sold to consumers.

The 10 minute delivery pitch was central to Blinkit’s brand positioning over the last few years and helped fuel intense competition with rivals like Zepto and Swiggy Instamart. However, critics have long argued that such promises indirectly encourage risky riding behaviour and unrealistic performance expectations for delivery partners, especially during peak hours and adverse weather.

According to people familiar with the matter, government officials raised concerns that aggressive delivery timelines could compromise worker safety and well being. The recent strike further amplified these issues, with gig workers demanding better pay structures, insurance coverage and more humane delivery targets.

Industry watchers believe other quick commerce players may soon follow Blinkit’s lead. Swiggy and Zepto are reportedly reviewing their own messaging to ensure compliance with evolving labour norms and to avoid regulatory scrutiny. The focus, many say, could shift from extreme speed to reliability, assortment size and service quality.

For consumers, the move may have little visible impact on actual delivery times, which are still expected to remain fast in dense urban clusters. For the industry, however, it signals a possible reset in how growth, marketing and worker welfare are balanced in India’s high pressure convenience economy.

A video featuring Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha dressed as a Blinkit delivery partner and completing grocery drop-offs has quickly spread across social media, triggering a wider discussion on the working conditions of India’s gig economy workforce. The visuals show Chadha riding a scooter in a delivery-style uniform, navigating city roads while handing over orders, an uncommon sight for a sitting parliamentarian.

According to people familiar with the initiative, the exercise was intended to draw attention to the realities faced by delivery partners who power India’s fast-growing quick commerce sector. Platforms promising ultra-fast deliveries have expanded rapidly across metros, employing lakhs of riders who operate under strict timelines, incentive-linked payouts, and algorithm-driven performance tracking.

Chadha used the moment to highlight issues that delivery workers routinely raise, including income volatility, long working hours, exposure to traffic and weather risks, and limited access to benefits such as health insurance, accident cover, and social security. While the gig model offers flexibility and entry-level earning opportunities, labour experts note that it also shifts risk from companies to workers.

The move has generated mixed reactions. Supporters argue that the gesture helped humanise a workforce often viewed only through app interfaces and delivery times. They say public representatives experiencing such roles firsthand can better advocate for labour protections. Critics, however, questioned whether symbolic participation leads to policy reform, pointing out that regulatory clarity around gig work remains unresolved despite years of debate.

India’s gig economy is estimated to employ millions across food delivery, quick commerce, ride-hailing, and logistics. As competition intensifies and delivery promises become shorter, concerns around rider safety, fair compensation, and legal recognition are increasingly central to discussions on the sector’s long-term viability.

While opinions differ on the effectiveness of Chadha’s approach, the episode has succeeded in pushing gig worker welfare back into public focus. Whether this renewed attention translates into legislative action or platform-level changes will be closely watched by workers, companies, and policymakers alike.