Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has initiated discussions with major quick-commerce companies to discontinue the marketing and branding of 10-minute delivery services, focusing on protecting the rights and safety of gig workers across India's rapidly expanding delivery sector.

Government Intervention in Quick Commerce

Over the past month, Mandaviya held a series of meetings with leading quick-commerce platforms to address concerns related to ultra-fast delivery timelines. The labour minister's intervention represents a significant policy push toward ensuring greater safety, security, and improved working conditions for gig workers in the sector.

Industry Response to Government Nudge

Major delivery aggregators have responded positively to the government's request, agreeing to remove 10-minute delivery branding and marketing from their platforms. Other aggregators are expected to follow this trend in the coming days, indicating a sector-wide shift away from ultra-fast delivery promises.

The companies have yet to provide official comments regarding these policy discussions and their implementation timelines.

Catalyst: Nationwide Delivery Strike

The government's intervention follows a significant nationwide flash strike that highlighted concerns about the sustainability of the 10-minute delivery model. On New Year's Eve, more than 2 lakh delivery riders across India refused to deliver food, groceries, and other orders, making several key demands:

• Better pay structures
• Enhanced safety measures
• Improved dignity at work
• End to ultra-fast delivery timelines

This strike intensified the ongoing debate over the human cost of ultra-fast delivery services and raised questions about worker welfare in the gig economy.

Safety and Policy Concerns

Critics of ultra-fast delivery models argue that aggressive delivery timelines can encourage risky behavior on India's congested roads, potentially compromising rider safety. While companies maintain that riders are not formally timed, the pressure to meet delivery promises remains a concern for worker advocacy groups.

The issue has also contributed to investor concerns regarding discussions on expanding social security coverage for gig workers under new labour codes, adding regulatory uncertainty to the sector.

Growing Gig Economy Workforce

India's gig workforce is projected to reach 23.50 million by 2030, representing nearly three times its current size from a decade earlier. This dramatic growth projection adds urgency to policy discussions around worker protections and sustainable business practices in the delivery sector.

The government's intervention signals a broader policy focus on balancing rapid commercial growth with worker welfare considerations as India's quick-commerce sector continues its expansion.

India's quick commerce revolution is expanding beyond groceries and essentials into fashion retail, as startups and established platforms race to deliver clothing within 30 minutes. This shift represents a fundamental change in how Indian consumers approach fashion shopping, moving from planned purchases to instant gratification.

Market Players and Business Models

Two distinct business models are emerging in the fashion quick commerce space. Fashion startups including Zilo, Knot, and Zulu Club are pioneering marketplace-led approaches built around dark stores, while D2C brands like NEWME and Snitch are adopting brand-led models that utilize existing physical store inventory for rapid fulfillment.

Established e-commerce giants are also moving aggressively into this space. Myntra has launched M-Now with over 80 dark stores across major metros, while Flipkart's Ajio has introduced Ajio Rush to compete in the rapid fashion delivery segment.

Consumer Adoption and Market Response

The shift in consumer behavior is becoming increasingly evident across Indian metros. Padmakumar Pal, Co-Founder and CEO of Zilo, explains that shopping patterns have fundamentally changed: "What behaviour we have seen is, let's shift in how customer shops fashion. They're not doing planned shopping. They are doing fashion shopping instantly. They don't need to plan. They can buy fashion instantly and this the convenience and experience which is actually helping this customer to basically shift to this new way of shopping."

Myntra's market penetration demonstrates strong early adoption, with Sai Deo, Head of Strategy at Myntra, reporting that nearly 20% of customers in metro cities are already using the M-Now service. This adoption rate indicates significant consumer appetite for instant fashion delivery.

Operational Challenges and Solutions

Fashion quick commerce faces unique operational complexities compared to grocery delivery, particularly around sizing, trials, and returns. Different players are adopting varied approaches to address these challenges:

Technology-Driven Solutions

Some platforms are investing heavily in technology to minimize sizing issues and improve customer experience through better product visualization and sizing algorithms.

Try-at-Home Models

Anoop N Menon of Chiratae Ventures believes bunched try-at-home orders can improve unit economics by allowing customers to try multiple items before purchase. However, this approach faces skepticism from some industry leaders.

Store-as-Warehouse Strategy

Snitch is leveraging its dense physical store network by converting backroom inventory into quick fulfillment centers. Aniket Singh, Chief Business Officer at Snitch, notes: "We are trying to run our stores almost or the backroom of our stores like a warehouse," with picking times reduced to within three minutes.

Economic Viability and Investment Perspective

The financial sustainability of fashion quick commerce requires different economics compared to grocery delivery. Investors emphasize that successful fashion quick commerce platforms need significantly higher average order values to achieve profitability.

Sumit Jasoria, Co-Founder and CEO of NEWME, acknowledges the economic pressures while emphasizing market demand: "It's instant gratification, but that's the need of the hour." However, he dismisses try-and-buy models as "a waste of time" that makes little economic sense.

Future Outlook

The fashion quick commerce sector is still in its early stages, but the rapid adoption rates and significant investment from major players suggest this trend will continue expanding. Success in this space will likely depend on three critical factors: achieving scale, building dense demand clusters, and perfecting last-mile execution.

Myntra's expansion plans beyond its current 80 dark stores indicate confidence in the model's long-term viability, while the entry of multiple startups suggests a competitive landscape is forming. The sector's evolution will likely determine which business model—marketplace-led or brand-led—proves more sustainable in the Indian market.