Flipkart Minutes, the quick-commerce service operated by Flipkart and owned by Walmart, is nearing India’s leading quick-commerce platforms after reaching about 1.1 million to 1.2 million daily orders, according to people familiar with the matter cited by TechCrunch. That represents a significant jump from the 390,000 to 400,000 daily orders recorded in November, roughly two years after the service launched in August 2024.
At this volume, Minutes is approaching Swiggy Instamart, which handles about 1.4 million daily orders, according to a source familiar with its operations. Blinkit remains well ahead, however, with approximately 3.4 million to 3.6 million daily orders, followed by Zepto with about 2.4 million to 2.6 million orders, according to recent estimates from Datum Intelligence.
Rapid expansion of its operating infrastructure
Flipkart’s growth has relied heavily on expanding its network of micro-fulfillment centers, small warehouses located close to customers and dedicated to processing rapid-delivery orders. Minutes currently operates approximately 1,020 to 1,050 centers, up from 600 in January and around 340 a year ago. According to one source, the company is adding roughly 100 centers per month and aims to reach 1,500 centers by the end of 2026.
The improvement has not been limited to the number of centers. Average delivery time has fallen to about 11 minutes, compared with 13 minutes a year ago. The share of customers who return to purchase each month is between 65% and 70%, while the number of transactions per customer has increased by between 50% and 60% year over year. Customers spend an average of approximately 400 to 500 Indian rupees, equivalent to roughly $4.20 to $5.20, per order.
The fastest-growing categories include fruits and vegetables, staples, dairy products, and meat. Flipkart is also expanding its selection of premium products, such as organic and artisanal goods, in an effort to increase Minutes’ share of customers’ spending rather than relying solely on small, urgent orders.
Why does this matter?
The significance of the development lies in the fact that Flipkart is not entering a new market from scratch; it can direct its existing e-commerce customer base to its instant-delivery service. According to Satish Meena, a consultant at Datum Intelligence, Flipkart’s broad user base and network of more than 1,000 centers make Minutes a serious competitor, even though the service still trails Blinkit and Zepto in order volume.
The figures also mean that quick commerce has become a more established part of online shopping behavior in India, even as signs of weaker broader consumer demand emerge. Swiggy says Instamart has more than 14 million monthly active users and operates through more than 1,200 dark stores in over 130 cities. More than 45% of its network now generates a positive contribution margin.
Defensive and offensive competition
Competition is not limited to specialized companies. Amazon has expanded its Amazon Now service in India and said during CEO Andy Jassy’s visit to India in June that orders had doubled every quarter since the service launched, with plans to reach more than 300 cities and build a network of over 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers.
These plans show that Flipkart and Amazon are defending their customer bases as much as they are pursuing new growth. As users become accustomed to receiving some purchases within minutes, returning to scheduled delivery becomes less appealing in categories such as groceries. However, the full profitability data for Minutes is not disclosed in the article, and the order figures are based on anonymous sources and market estimates, warranting caution when comparing them directly across companies.