Flipkart Quietly Rolls Out 'Minutes' Service in Gurugram

Nitin Konde, Apoorva Bajj

Sep 11, 2024 — 2 min read

Flipkart Quietly Rolls Out 'Minutes' Service in Gurugram

Users in Gurugram and the surrounding areas of the NCR region can now take advantage of Flipkart Minutes, a new fast commerce service, which was secretly launched by eCommerce giant Flipkart.

According to a report by a media outlet, Flipkart Minutes is reportedly now available at several locations in Gurugram, including Unitech Cyber Park, Sector 39, Sector 40, The Millennium City Centre (Sector 29), and Golf Course Road (Sector 54), but the firm has not officially announced it.

The fact that the service is visible to some customers in Mumbai, according to the source, suggests that Flipkart is testing it before launching it to the public.

In What Way Does Flipkart Minutes Work?

You can get your groceries, electronics, cellphones, and more delivered in as little as 10 to 16 minutes with Flipkart Minutes, a speedy commerce service.

The service went live following reports that Flipkart scrapped its intention to acquire a substantial share in Zepto, the company headed by Aadit Palicha.

According to an April article by a media house, Zepto opted for a financing round instead of a strategic sale, to increase the company's worth and be ready for an IPO.

The possible initial public offering (IPO) is expected to occur in the second half of 2025, according to multiple media reports. Zepto has reportedly begun conversations with Axis Capital, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, three prominent Wall Street banks.

The Impact of Flipkart Minutes on the Market

Last month, Flipkart introduced the service in certain areas of Bengaluru, including HSR Layout, Gunjur, Bellandur, and Kadubeesanahalli. Notably, there has been a dramatic increase in the need for fast commerce services in these areas.

Flipkart is now in a stronger position than before to compete with market leaders like Zepto, Blinkit (owned by Zomato), and Swiggy Instamart, all of which have taken customers away from Amazon and Flipkart.

Users are increasingly drawn to swift commerce on Flipkart because of the convenience and speed of delivery, even though same-day delivery is already available across numerous categories. Nevertheless, not every city may implement rapid commerce.

According to Flipkart's VP and head of groceries, Hari Kumar G., the two models—quick-commerce and next-day delivery—can coexist, and the business is looking into delivering quick-commerce services in some regions of the country depending on demand.

The View of Zomato on the Blinkit Expansion

The rapid commerce sector is dominated by Blinkit, which is owned by Zomato, as of January 2024. Zepto, on the other hand, has seen a tremendous increase in its market share, going from 15% in 2022 to almost 30% in 2024, thanks to the enormous money it raised last year.

Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa has already announced intentions to keep growing the business, with 2,000 dark shopfronts planned for the end of 2026, up from 639 at present. Also, by March 2025, Zepto hopes to have doubled its dark shop network to 700.