New Delhi: India’s quick commerce companies have revised their marketing strategy following nationwide protests by gig workers and intervention by the central government. Leading platforms Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy have announced that they will no longer promote or brand their services around “10-minute delivery” claims.
The move comes after delivery partners staged countrywide demonstrations on December 25 (Christmas Day) and December 31 (New Year’s Eve), demanding the removal of ultra-fast delivery timelines that, according to them, put undue pressure on workers and compromise road safety.
Government Steps In
Earlier this week, the Union Labour Ministry held discussions with major quick commerce companies to address concerns related to delivery timelines and worker safety. Sources said that Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urged companies to remove the 10-minute delivery promise from their branding and advertisements, warning that such claims encourage unsafe working conditions.
The ministry reportedly emphasized that unrealistic delivery targets force delivery partners to rush, increasing the risk of accidents and negatively impacting their well-being.
Companies Respond
Following the government’s intervention, Blinkit was the first to announce a change. The company has replaced its earlier slogan “10,000+ products delivered in 10 minutes” with “30,000+ products delivered to your doorstep.”
Soon after, Zepto and Swiggy also confirmed that they would stop advertising 10-minute delivery timelines.
While the companies clarified that delivery speeds may still remain competitive, they said they would no longer use ultra-fast delivery as a core branding message.
Gig Workers Welcome the Decision
The Gig Workers Association welcomed the move, calling it a positive step toward ensuring worker safety and dignity. In a statement, the association said that the 10-minute delivery model pushed workers to speed, take road risks, and work long hours under constant pressure from app-based incentives, ratings, and order allocation systems.
The association also highlighted issues related to pay, claiming that workers are often assigned multiple deliveries for the same compensation as a single order. In one cited case, a worker reportedly received just ₹19.30 for delivering two orders simultaneously, increasing workload and risk without additional pay.
The group has demanded the creation of a permanent institutional mechanism for dialogue between gig workers, companies, and the government.
Political Reaction
AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha thanked the central government for its intervention. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he said that the decision would improve the safety and dignity of gig workers. He added that many delivery partners work excessively long hours, earn low wages, and risk their lives to meet unrealistic delivery promises.
A Shift in Quick Commerce
The decision marks a significant shift in India’s fast-growing quick commerce sector, which had aggressively marketed ultra-fast deliveries as a competitive edge. With growing scrutiny from workers’ unions and regulators, companies now appear to be recalibrating their approach to balance efficiency with worker welfare.