Quick commerce, the 10-to-30-minute delivery model, has become one of the most heavily funded corners of Indian retail. For brands, it is both an opportunity and a new kind of competition: a shelf that is small, a search page that is crowded and a platform that controls the customer.
The capital behind it
In October 2025, TechCrunch reported that Zepto raised about $400 million at a $7 billion valuation, in a round led by CalPERS, with the headline figure given as $450 million. The company's chief executive said daily orders had grown from 500,000 five quarters earlier to 1.7 million, across more than 1,000 stores in over 80 cities. The article also lists Blinkit in more than 200 cities and Swiggy Instamart in more than 100, and notes that BigBasket, Flipkart and Amazon also run quick-commerce services.
On the outlook, the same report cites a Morgan Stanley projection of a $42 billion quick-commerce market by 2030 and a Bernstein estimate of $100 billion within a decade. Forecasts like these vary widely and can be wrong. They show how much capital expects the category to grow, not what any single brand will earn.
What it means for brands
- Discovery moves in-app. Shoppers search and browse inside a quick-commerce app, so your listing, images and keywords matter as much as on a marketplace.
- Shelf space is limited. A dark store stocks a narrow range, so fast-moving and well-known products get priority.
- Impulse and top-up buying dominate. Packs, price points and offers that suit a quick purchase tend to do better.
- Platforms hold the data. You see less about the customer than on your own site, so you must rely on the platform's reports and ads.
- Ads are part of the game. Platforms sell sponsored placements, and visibility often has a price.
A practical approach
- Decide your role. Quick commerce can be a growth channel, a trial channel or a defensive one, but not all three at once.
- Work out unit economics for the channel, including platform margin, promotions, returns and wastage, before you list at scale.
- Pick a focused range, with the packs and prices that suit a fast purchase.
- Optimise your listing: clear images, accurate titles, ingredients or specs, and strong ratings.
- Support listings with awareness outside the app. Social and creator content makes people search for your name.
- Watch cannibalisation. Check how quick commerce affects your own site and marketplace sales.
For channel basics, see our Amazon and marketplace growth service and performance marketing . Related reading: The Evolution of Consumer Behavior in the Age of Social Commerce , ROAS vs ROI and Tata 1mg's Offline Push , which mentions a quick-delivery tie-up in health.
The takeaway
Quick commerce is attracting serious money, and shoppers are getting used to it. Brands that treat it as a deliberate channel, with their own economics and a clear role, will be better placed than those who list everywhere and hope.
Sources
TechCrunch, Zepto raises funding at a $7 billion valuation as Indian quick commerce market heats up
