In the early morning hours of Delhi, Tanisha Singh discovers she’s out of tomatoes while preparing her lunch curry. With local markets still closed, she turns to her smartphone. Within eight minutes, a delivery rider arrives at her doorstep with fresh produce—a phenomenon now commonplace in India’s metropolitan centers.
This convenience is powered by an intricate network of ‘dark stores’—compact fulfillment centers strategically embedded within residential neighborhoods. Unlike traditional retailers, platforms like Blinkit, Swiggy, Instamart and Zepto operate from these hyper-local facilities stocked with essentials arranged for maximum efficiency rather than customer browsing.
BBC’s visit to one such facility in northwest Delhi revealed a meticulously organized operation. Workers navigate narrow aisles stacked with vegetables, frozen goods, and packaged items, fulfilling orders with near-robotic precision. Store manager Sagar boasts of completing orders ‘in under a minute’ as delivery riders synchronize with packers in a seamless ballet of efficiency.
The delivery process, however, conceals significant human challenges. Delivery driver Muhammad Faiyaz Alam, 26, demonstrates the reality behind the promises—navigating complex urban landscapes where digital maps often fail. His recent 2.2km delivery took 16 minutes total, earning him 31 rupees (£0.25). Alam typically attempts 40 daily deliveries, with earnings fluctuating between 900-1,000 rupees after deducting expenses.
This system operates on an incentive structure that rewards continuous work. Alam logged 406 hours in December, completing over 1,000 orders and earning 16,000 rupees in incentives alone. However, the system proves fragile—when Alam’s phone was stolen mid-shift, he lost consecutive days of work and missed a 5,000-rupee incentive.
Researchers note that while such incentive models aren’t unique to India, they’re intensified by labor availability and weak worker protections. ‘These workers are classified as independent contractors with no social security, yet algorithms control their work through ratings, penalties and pay,’ explains researcher Vandana Vasudevan.
The pressure manifests on roads where riders admit to speeding and traffic violations to meet targets. Recent strikes across Indian cities have protested falling incomes, unpredictable incentives, and unsafe conditions, prompting government intervention. The labor ministry has ordered platforms to abandon aggressive ’10-minute delivery’ marketing language.
India’s quick commerce sector defied global trends by sustaining growth post-pandemic. While Western services like Getir scaled back, Indian platforms flourished by catering to time-poor urban residents willing to pay premiums for convenience. Retail analyst Ankur Bisen notes that despite the buzz, profitability remains elusive with companies still operating at losses amid intense competition.
Consumer awareness is gradually shifting. A LocalCircles survey found 74% support for dropping the ’10-minute delivery’ promise, with 40% willing to wait longer for orders. Yet for now, India’s urban convenience economy continues to run on the relentless pace of workers like Alam, who have little choice but to keep moving.