Two years after launch, Flipkart nears India's quick-commerce leaders
Two years after launch, Walmart-owned Flipkart's Minutes service is closing in on India's quick-commerce leaders, delivering 1.1 million to 1.2 million orders daily—nearly triple the 390,000 to 400,000 orders it handled in November. That surge puts Flipkart within striking distance of Swiggy's Instamart, which processes roughly 1.4 million orders per day.
Flipkart Minutes debuted in August 2024 as Walmart-owned Flipkart's quick-commerce foray. As Amazon mounts its own instant-delivery push, Flipkart is proving a late entrant can still scale fast in India's competitive market.
Key Takeaways
- Flipkart Minutes now delivers 1.1 million to 1.2 million orders daily, up from roughly 390,000 to 400,000 in November.
- The service operates about 1,020 to 1,050 micro-fulfillment centers and targets 1,500 by the end of 2026.
- Blinkit leads India with 3.4 million to 3.6 million daily orders; Zepto and Instamart follow behind.
- About 65% to 70% of monthly Minutes customers are repeat buyers, with transactions per customer up 50% to 60% year over year.
- Amazon Now is also expanding aggressively, with orders doubling every quarter since launch.
How did Flipkart Minutes grow so fast?
Flipkart has fueled its rise with an aggressive expansion of delivery infrastructure. Minutes now operates about 1,020 to 1,050 micro-fulfillment centers—small warehouses located close to customers built for quick deliveries—up from 600 in January and roughly 340 a year ago. The company is adding around 100 such facilities per month.
Flipkart's advantage extends beyond dark stores. The company can tap an enormous pool of existing e-commerce customers it has spent years and billions of dollars acquiring, giving Minutes a ready audience for faster deliveries. Satish Meena, an adviser at market research firm Datum Intelligence, told TechCrunch that once a platform opens 1,000 dark stores and handles a million orders per day, it qualifies as a serious player.
Who leads India's quick-commerce market today?
Instamart, Blinkit, and Zepto have long dominated India's quick-commerce ranks. Per Datum Intelligence estimates, Blinkit leads with 3.4 million to 3.6 million daily orders, followed by Zepto at 2.4 million to 2.6 million. Instamart is the smallest of the three leaders, though Swiggy reported more than 14 million monthly transacting users and over 1,200 dark stores across 130-plus cities.
Why does quick commerce matter for Flipkart and Amazon?
Quick commerce is reshaping how Indians shop online, even as broader consumer demand softens. Bernstein analysts noted that while consumption growth slowed in July, quick-commerce platforms still recorded healthy monthly active user growth.
For Flipkart and Amazon, the push is defensive as well as offensive. Consumers accustomed to instant delivery may abandon e-commerce giants that cannot match specialist platforms. Meena told TechCrunch that shoppers will not revert to scheduled grocery delivery.
Amazon Now is also scaling fast—CEO Andy Jassy said orders double every quarter since launch, with plans for 300-plus cities and 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers. For more on retail tech trends, see our Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage.
What do Flipkart's customer numbers reveal?
About 65% to 70% of monthly Minutes customers are repeat buyers, with transactions per customer up 50% to 60% year over year. Average order value runs ₹400 to ₹500 (roughly $4.20 to $5.20), with fruits, vegetables, staples, dairy, and meat among fast-growing categories.
Average delivery time has fallen to about 11 minutes from 13 minutes a year ago. Flipkart is also expanding gourmet and organic selections. Read the full TechCrunch report for more details.