India urges quick‑commerce firms to drop 10‑minute delivery promises

After a strike by delivery workers, the government privately urged quick‑commerce companies to stop promoting explicit 10‑minute delivery deadlines; some firms such as Blinkit have removed the promise but wider compliance appears unclear.

India's government has told quick‑commerce companies to stop promoting explicit 10‑minute delivery deadlines after recent worker unrest, a labour ministry official told the BBC. Quick‑commerce — using small local warehouses to supply groceries and household goods within minutes — grew rapidly after the Covid pandemic and has faced criticism over pressure on delivery workers. Thousands of delivery workers staged a strike last month citing pay, dignity and safety concerns, which prompted the closed‑door discussion between officials and firms. It remains unclear how broadly companies will alter their public delivery pledges. Key points: - A labour ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government urged quick‑commerce firms to stop promoting tight delivery deadlines. - The article reports that some platforms, including Blinkit, have removed the explicit "10‑minute" delivery promise from branding and marketing. - The BBC found that in some locations apps still displayed estimated delivery times under 10 minutes, in part because of very short delivery distances from local dark stores. - Thousands of delivery workers went on strike last month to raise concerns about pay, long hours and safety risks. Summary: The government has pressed quick‑commerce companies to drop explicit 10‑minute delivery promises following worker protests that highlighted pay and safety issues. Some firms have reportedly removed the promise, but broader compliance and official follow‑up are undetermined at this time.