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Two years after launch, Walmart’s Flipkart is closing in on India’s quick-commerce leaders
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Walmart-owned Flipkart is rapidly closing the gap with India's established quick-commerce leaders through its Flipkart Minutes service. Launched in August 2024, the service has seen explosive growth, now handling 1.1 million to 1.2 million daily orders. This figure marks a significant increase from the 390,000 to 400,000 orders it processed in November, according to sources familiar with the matter.
This growth positions Flipkart Minutes as a major challenger to the market's pioneers. The service is now close to the scale of Swiggy's Instamart, which delivers approximately 1.4 million orders per day. The top tier of the market is dominated by Blinkit, with 3.4 million to 3.6 million daily orders, and Zepto, with 2.4 million to 2.6 million, as reported by market research firm Datum Intelligence.
Flipkart's rapid ascent is notable as it entered a market well-established by competitors like Instamart, Blinkit, and Zepto. The company has fueled its growth through aggressive infrastructure expansion. Flipkart Minutes now operates about 1,020 to 1,050 micro-fulfillment centers, up from just 340 a year ago. The company is adding around 100 such facilities monthly and aims to have 1,500 by the end of 2026.
An important advantage for Flipkart is its access to a massive existing customer base. According to Satish Meena, an adviser at Datum Intelligence, the company can tap into an enormous pool of e-commerce customers acquired over years, providing a ready audience for its faster delivery service. "Flipkart is already a serious player," Meena stated, noting the significance of surpassing a million daily orders.
Customer engagement metrics further illustrate the service's success. About 65% to 70% of monthly customers are repeat buyers, and transactions per user have increased by 50% to 60% year-over-year. Shoppers spend an average of ₹400 to ₹500 per order on items like fruits, vegetables, staples, and dairy, with delivery times improving to an average of 11 minutes.
Despite Flipkart's surge, Instamart retains substantial scale with over 14 million monthly transacting users and more than 1,200 dark stores across 130 cities. Swiggy has also been working to reduce Instamart's losses, with over 45% of its dark-store network now contribution-margin positive.
The competition intensifies as quick commerce gains importance in India, even amid softer overall consumer demand. Bernstein analysts note a continued shift toward quick-commerce platforms, which are recording healthy growth in monthly active users. As Flipkart and global rival Amazon intensify their instant delivery pushes, the battle for India's online shoppers is set to escalate further.
