After Blinkit, major quick commerce players Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and Flipkart Minutes have dropped their '10-minute' delivery branding following pressure from the government and labour rights groups over the welfare and safety of delivery partners.
The move comes after Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a meeting last week, urged quick commerce firms to prioritise worker safety by removing rigid 10-minute deadlines.
It was being said that such hyper-fast delivery promises place undue stress on riders, potentially compromising their road safety.
Quick commerce firms could not be immediately contacted for comments.
The move is a major setback for the quick commerce sector which has become a $11.5 billion market in India within five years and changed how Indians shop, with apps allowing groceries and electronics to be delivered within minutes.
Despite the government's order, the companies are under no legal binding to not offer the fast delivery services. In at least one area of Delhi, Blinkit showed delivery within eight minutes on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Eternal has said there was no change in the business model for its quick commerce platform, Blinkit. Zepto declined to comment, while Flipkart and Swiggy did not respond to Reuters' queries.
On Christmas and New Year's Eve, gig workers across the country held protests and a partial strike to draw attention to their working conditions and unsafe delivery demands.