Flipkart’s one-hour delivery service, Flipkart Minutes, is betting big on India’s festival shopping spree. The Walmart-owned platform, which turned one this August, reported 50 million unique visitors in its first year and says customer appetite for instant delivery is only accelerating.
The service, currently live across 19 cities and 2,900 pincodes, has been doubling order volumes every 45 days. Backed by a plan to roll out 800 dark stores, it is positioning itself as a serious contender in the country’s fast-growing quick-commerce market.
Festivals have already given the platform a sales boost. Raksha Bandhan alone saw a 30-fold surge in gifting orders, with 8 pm emerging as the single busiest shopping hour. High-ticket categories are also driving momentum: in its first year, Flipkart Minutes sold nearly five lakh smartphones and over 20 lakh consumer electronics units, alongside daily staples, food, beverages, and personal care.
Senior leadership remains bullish on demand. “There is a lot of positive sentiment. Be it Rakhi, Independence Day or Janmashtami, we are seeing customers lean on us for convenience during key moments,” said Hemant Badri, Senior Vice President at Flipkart. Vice President Kabeer Biswas added that the rise of gig workforce availability, digital payments, and evolving shopping behavior are accelerating adoption.
For the festive quarter, Flipkart Minutes is deepening inventory across essentials, mobiles, electronics, and festival-led assortments. AI-powered demand forecasting will be used to predict buying patterns region by region, while Ekart’s last-mile network is being ramped up to handle peak volumes.
With more than 900 categories already live, the company believes the season ahead could be a turning point, as quick-commerce shifts from occasional convenience to a mainstream shopping habit.
