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.
