End of the 10-Minute Delivery Era? Blinkit, Zepto Drop Speed Claims After Govt Intervention

After months of debate, protests, and growing unease around rider safety, leading quick commerce platforms have begun stepping back from the ultra-fast delivery promises that made them household names.

In a significant development, companies such as Blinkit and Zepto have voluntarily agreed to halt their “10-minute delivery” claims, following concerns raised by the government about the intense pressure such timelines place on gig workers. The move marks a rare moment where growth-first startup ambition is being recalibrated in favour of worker welfare—and could reshape how India’s fast-growing quick commerce sector positions itself going forward.

Government steps in as pressure builds

According to sources, a high-level meeting was recently held between government representatives and major quick commerce players including Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy. The discussion focused squarely on delivery timelines and the working conditions of gig workers who power these platforms.

The intervention came after Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya flagged concerns around increasing stress, safety risks, and unrealistic expectations placed on delivery riders due to aggressive delivery guarantees.

The message from the government was clear: speed cannot come at the cost of human safety.

Blinkit leads the shift

Among the first to act was Blinkit. Sources cited by ANI confirmed that the company has already removed the 10-minute delivery promise from its branding. The change is not cosmetic—it signals a deeper shift in how quick commerce companies want to be perceived.

Blinkit’s principal tagline has reportedly been revised from “10,000+ products delivered in 10 minutes” to “30,000+ products delivered at your doorstep.” The emphasis, at least for now, has moved away from speed and toward selection and convenience.

Industry watchers expect other platforms to follow suit in the coming days, especially as regulatory scrutiny and public sentiment around gig worker welfare continue to grow.

Why this matters: the human cost of speed

This course correction comes against the backdrop of rising unrest among gig workers. Over the past few months, delivery partners across platforms have repeatedly flagged issues around long working hours, inadequate payouts, and the constant pressure to beat the clock.

That frustration spilled onto the streets on December 31, New Year’s Eve, when a section of gig workers staged a strike—one of the busiest delivery days of the year—to protest working conditions. The symbolism was hard to miss: while customers counted down to midnight, many riders were racing against app timers.

For critics of quick commerce, the 10-minute promise was always less about convenience and more about optics—creating a sense of urgency that inevitably transferred to riders navigating crowded roads, traffic, and weather conditions.

Zomato’s defence—and the counterpoint

Earlier, Deepinder Goyal, co-founder of Zomato and owner of Blinkit, had publicly dismissed the December 31 strike and defended the company’s delivery model. He argued that Blinkit’s operations did not encourage unsafe driving, pointing out that riders typically travel an average distance of around two kilometres at speeds of roughly 16 kmph. He also highlighted that the company covers drivers with insurance.

While the data-driven defence resonated with some, it did little to address the psychological pressure of countdown timers, branded jackets, and customer expectations built around “10 minutes or less.”

That, critics argue, is where the real risk lies.

Raghav Chadha calls it a “victory”

The decision to drop the 10-minute branding was welcomed by Raghav Chadha, who has been one of the most vocal political voices calling for regulation of quick commerce platforms.

Reacting to the development on X, Chadha described it as a win for delivery partners and citizens who had consistently raised safety concerns. “Satyamev Jayate. Together, we have won,” he wrote, thanking the Central Government for what he called a timely and compassionate intervention.

Chadha underlined the psychological burden of ultra-fast delivery branding, noting that when “10 minutes” is printed on a rider’s T-shirt, jacket, or delivery bag—and when a countdown runs on a customer’s screen—the pressure is “real, constant, and dangerous.”

He said he had personally interacted with hundreds of delivery partners over the past few months, many of whom described themselves as overworked, underpaid, and risking their lives to meet what he called an unrealistic promise.

A broader reckoning for quick commerce

Beyond the immediate branding changes, this moment could mark a turning point for India’s quick commerce sector, which has grown rapidly by promising instant gratification in dense urban markets.

The sector now faces a larger question: can it sustain its growth without pushing the limits of human endurance?

Chadha, during earlier interventions in Parliament, has consistently argued that app-based delivery platforms must be accompanied by stronger safeguards—social security, fair pay, dignity, and protection for gig workers—as the sector scales.

With the government now more actively involved, and companies beginning to adjust their messaging, the industry may be entering a more mature phase—one where speed is balanced with responsibility.

For consumers, groceries may still arrive quickly—but perhaps without the relentless countdown. For gig workers, the hope is that this shift translates not just into safer branding, but into tangible improvements on the ground.

And for India’s startup ecosystem, the rollback of the 10-minute delivery claim is a reminder that hypergrowth narratives, however attractive, eventually collide with real-world limits.

The era of “faster at any cost” may be giving way to something slower—but more sustainable.