Eternal Ltd. has issued a clarification regarding its quick commerce business Blinkit, stating that there is no change in the business model despite the removal of 10-minute delivery branding from its marketing materials.

Company's Official Response

In a stock exchange filing issued late Tuesday, Eternal addressed market concerns following reports about the branding changes. The company emphasized that no development warrants disclosure under listing rules and specifically clarified that there is no change in Blinkit's business model that could have any material impact on the company.

Labour Ministry Directive on Delivery Timelines

The Labour Ministry directed quick-commerce companies including Blinkit, Swiggy, and Zepto to stop marketing and branding 10-minute delivery timelines. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met with representatives of these platforms and instructed them to prioritize the safety of delivery partners, citing concerns over gig worker safety.

Industry Response and Political Support

According to news agency PTI, other aggregators are expected to follow suit in the coming days. The Labour Ministry directive came after gig workers went on strike in December to demand better payouts and improved working conditions.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha welcomed the government's intervention, describing it as a timely and compassionate step. He highlighted the pressure faced by delivery partners, stating that when '10 minutes' is printed on a rider's clothing and a timer runs on the customer's screen, the pressure becomes real, constant and dangerous.

CEO's Defense of Current System

Eternal Group CEO Deepinder Goyal had previously defended the 10-minute delivery promise in a social media post, claiming it does not pressure riders or lead to unsafe driving. He explained that delivery partners are not shown the 10-minute timer on the app and argued that the system does not operate in a way that translates faster delivery promises into pressure on delivery partners to drive unsafely.

Market Performance

Shares of Eternal ended 3.20% higher at ₹294.55 on the NSE, outperforming the benchmark Nifty 50 which dropped 0.22%. The stock has gained 30.00% on a 12-month basis, reflecting strong investor confidence despite the recent regulatory developments.

Eternal Limited has responded to a surveillance query from BSE Limited regarding news reports about its quick commerce subsidiary Blinkit's delivery model. The company issued a formal clarification on January 13, 2026, addressing concerns raised by the stock exchange about potential material developments.

BSE Surveillance Query Response

The clarification came in response to BSE's email reference L/SURV/ONL/RV/APJ/ (2025-2026)/ 134, which sought clarification on a news item published on Moneycontrol.com. The report was titled "Swiggy, Eternal shares off day's high as reports say Blinkit removes 10-minute delivery deadline."

Company's Official Position

Eternal Limited categorically stated that no developments in the company warrant disclosure under Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. The company specifically addressed concerns about its quick commerce business Blinkit, emphasizing that there are no changes in the business model that could have any material impact on the company.

Company Secretary and Compliance Officer Sandhya Sethia signed the clarification document, which was digitally authenticated on January 13, 2026, at 21:13:14 +05'30' from Gurugram.

Share Price Movement Clarification

The company also highlighted that since the publication of the news article at 3:00 PM, there had been no sharp share price movement in Eternal's stock. This observation was included to provide additional context regarding the market impact of the reported news.

Corporate Information

The clarification reinforces Eternal Limited's commitment to regulatory compliance and transparent communication with stakeholders regarding material developments that could impact investor interests.