Quick-commerce platforms including Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy and Zomato have agreed to discontinue their widely advertised “10-minute delivery” promise after sustained pressure from the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, gig worker protests and public debate over the safety and welfare of delivery personnel.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met with senior executives of these companies on Tuesday, urging them to remove strict delivery-time commitments from branding and marketing in the interest of worker safety and dignity.
Blinkit has already dropped the 10-minute claim across its platforms, while others are expected to follow suit soon. The move comes amid nationwide strike calls and demands from gig worker unions for improved working conditions, fair pay structures and an end to deadlines that workers argue promote risky road behaviour and erode earnings.
Safety Concerns and Industry Response
India’s quick-commerce boom has been driven by consumer demand for rapid delivery of groceries and essentials often within 10 minutes of placing an order. However, the promise of such hyper-fast service has drawn intense scrutiny from delivery workers, unions, elected representatives and, ultimately, the government.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya intervened this week after weeks of debate, urging companies to “cut slack on strict delivery time limits” to protect delivery partners from undue pressure and unsafe working conditions.
In the meetings with executives from Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy’s Instamart and Zomato, the minister highlighted concerns that rigid timelines could compel riders to speed, flout traffic norms and compromise their own safety and that of others on the road. Officials said the industry leaders assured the ministry they would remove the explicit “10-minute delivery” tagline from brand advertisements and social media platforms.
Blinkit has been the first major player to act on this directive, quietly removing the “10-minute delivery” claim from its app and external messaging. Its tagline now reads “30,000+ products delivered at your doorstep” without any fixed time commitment.
Other platforms, including Zepto and Swiggy Instamart, are reported to be in the process of revising their delivery time messaging to remove stringent promises, though some customers may still see short estimated times shown on delivery windows in apps.
Industry leaders and executives have varied perspectives on why such fast deliveries were possible in the first place. In early January, Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal defended the mechanics of quick deliveries, saying they were enabled by dense networks of fulfilment centres (dark stores) and efficient logistics, not by forcing delivery partners to drive dangerously or under a visible countdown timer on their apps.
He argued that delivery partners do not even see the original 10-minute promise on their apps and that average distances were around 2 kilometres per order at moderate speeds. Still, he acknowledged that no system is perfect and warranted continuous improvement.
Background: Worker Protests and the Gig Economy Debate
The shift away from ultra-fast delivery branding did not occur in a vacuum. Over the past several weeks, gig worker unions like the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and allied groups have called attention to the often invisible burdens faced by delivery personnel across quick commerce and food delivery platforms.
On New Year’s Eve 2025, delivery workers initiated a nationwide strike, demanding an end to 10-minute delivery options and raising broader concerns over falling incomes, arbitrary penalties, blocked IDs and the lack of basic social security protections.
Some unions estimated that over 150,000 workers participated in strikes targeting the busiest days of the year, underlining widespread frustration with the pace and conditions of gig work. Workers told media outlets that fulfilling ultra-fast deliveries in congested urban settings often meant overspeeding, jumping red lights, and facing pressure from algorithmic penalties for late deliveries.
Political voices have also amplified the issue. AAP leader Raghav Chadha staged symbolic actions such as working for a day as a delivery partner to highlight labour rights issues and repeatedly urged Parliament to ban or regulate 10-minute delivery services on the grounds that they encourage reckless behaviour and exploit informal workers.
He argued that these workers, often from marginalised communities, face long hours without adequate health and accident insurance, protective gear, or hazard allowances, even as they are expected to meet unrealistic performance targets.
Critics of the quick-commerce model also point out that unstable earnings, unpaid waiting times before assignments, arbitrary app-based evaluations and lack of stable pay structures have compounded the precarity of gig work. Surveys and worker testimonies reveal long hours with physical strain, rising stress and little fallback support, spurring demands for fair pay and humane working conditions alongside timeline reforms.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that economic innovation and convenience should not come at the expense of human dignity, safety and basic labour rights. The withdrawal of rigid “10-minute delivery” branding by major quick-commerce players—following government intervention and worker advocacy is a welcome acknowledgment of the real risks faced by delivery partners on the ground.
However, this shift, while significant, is only a starting point. Gig workers continue to confront systemic challenges, including unpredictable earnings, limited social security, algorithmic control over work, and a lack of formal recognition under labour laws. Safeguarding the welfare of an expanding gig workforce will require legal protections, transparent pay systems, meaningful social security measures and genuine worker participation in policy decisions.
