Amazon Now and Flipkart Minutes widen India’s quick-commerce contest

Amazon and Flipkart are escalating instant-delivery bets against Blinkit as quick commerce moves beyond grocery and major metros. The market is likely to support multiple scaled players rather than a single winner, according to the analysis.

— FiledWed, 22 Jul, 2026, 05:35 IST·First seen Wed, 22 Jul, 2026, 05:34 IST·Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

India’s e-commerce market is shifting toward instant fulfilment, with Amazon Now and Flipkart Minutes challenging Blinkit. The analysis expects multiple scaled

Key facts

  • Amazon India marketplace revenue rose from roughly Rs 2,300 crore in FY16 to over Rs 30,000 crore in FY25
  • Flipkart revenue rose from about Rs 2,000 crore in FY16 to over Rs 20,000 crore in FY25
  • Amazon has invested close to $40 billion in India over the past 15 years

Why this matters

Retailers, brands and logistics players should evaluate partnerships with multiple quick-commerce platforms as marketplace entrants broaden the channel’s reach and category potential.

What to watch

  • Dark-store additions and serviceable pin-code expansion by Amazon Now and Flipkart Minutes.
  • Changes in promised delivery times, delivery fees, minimum order values and membership benefits.
  • Evidence of marketplace-exclusive assortment, Prime-linked offers or seller-funded instant-delivery promotions.
  • Contribution-margin disclosures, cash-burn commentary and additional funding rounds at Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto.
  • Quick-commerce gross merchandise value growth in non-grocery categories and tier-2 cities.
  • Regulatory scrutiny of discounting, gig-worker costs, dark-store zoning or platform competition.
  • Amazon and Flipkart expand dark-store and partner-store footprints in top metros before selectively entering tier-2 cities.
  • Marketplaces push electronics accessories, beauty, personal care, packaged food and urgent household replenishment rather than relying solely on grocery.
  • Incumbents raise membership, free-delivery and coupon intensity to defend high-frequency users.
  • Quick-commerce firms increase private-label, advertising and seller-funded promotions to offset delivery subsidies.
  • Large retail and consumer brands split inventory and media budgets across multiple quick-commerce platforms, reducing dependence on any single app.