Flipkart Minutes Narrows the Gap in India’s Quick-Commerce Race

Flipkart Minutes is now delivering 1.1 million to 1.2 million orders a day, nearly triple its November volume of about 390,000 to 400,000 orders. That puts the two-year-old service close to Swiggy Instamart, which is delivering about 1.4 million orders a day, according to a person familiar with its operations.

The growth is significant because Flipkart entered quick commerce later than Instamart, Blinkit and Zepto. For readers tracking India’s online retail market, the takeaway is clear: quick delivery is no longer a side experiment for major e-commerce platforms.

Blinkit remains the category leader with around 3.4 million to 3.6 million daily orders, while Zepto is estimated at about 2.4 million to 2.6 million, according to Datum Intelligence estimates cited by TechCrunch. Flipkart is not yet at that level, but it is rapidly narrowing the gap with Instamart, the smallest of the three established leaders by order volume.

Instamart still has meaningful scale, with more than 14 million monthly transacting users and over 1,200 dark stores across more than 130 cities. The competitive pressure is now focused on who can expand capacity, keep delivery speeds tight and capture repeat grocery behavior.

Flipkart Minutes now operates about 1,020 to 1,050 micro-fulfillment centers, up from 600 in January and about 340 a year ago, according to a source cited by TechCrunch. The company is adding around 100 such facilities a month and is aiming for 1,500 by the end of 2026.

Customer behavior is also strengthening: about 65% to 70% of monthly purchasers are repeat buyers, and transactions per customer have increased 50% to 60% from a year earlier. Average delivery time has fallen to about 11 minutes from 13 minutes a year ago, while average order value is about ₹400 to ₹500, or roughly $4.20 to $5.20.

Flipkart’s expansion comes as Amazon is also building its India quick-commerce service, Amazon Now. Amazon has said Now became its fastest-growing business in India, with orders doubling every quarter since launch, and it has outlined plans to reach more than 300 cities and build more than 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers.

The strategic risk for large e-commerce platforms is straightforward: as shoppers get used to near-immediate delivery for groceries and everyday goods, scheduled delivery can become less attractive for certain purchases. Flipkart and Amazon are therefore using their existing customer bases while trying to match the speed set by specialist quick-commerce players.