Flipkart Minutes Hits 1.2M Daily Orders, Nears Instamart’s Scale

Flipkart Minutes is delivering between 1.1 million and 1.2 million orders per day, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke with TechCrunch. That represents a sharp increase from approximately 390,000 to 400,000 daily orders recorded in November. The service, launched by Walmart-owned Flipkart in August 2024, has reached scale comparable to Swiggy’s Instamart, which handles roughly 1.4 million orders daily.

Market positioning amid established rivals

Instamart, Blinkit, and Zepto remain India’s top three quick-commerce platforms by order volume. Blinkit leads with an estimated 3.4 million to 3.6 million daily orders, followed by Zepto at 2.4 million to 2.6 million, per recent data from market research firm Datum Intelligence. Instamart ranks third among the trio, making Flipkart’s rapid growth especially notable given its status as a late entrant.

Swiggy launched Instamart in 2020, Zepto entered the space in 2021, and Blinkit evolved from Grofers, founded in 2013. All three have since built extensive dark-store networks and customer bases before Flipkart’s entry into quick commerce.

Infrastructure expansion and operational metrics

Flipkart Minutes now operates between 1,020 and 1,050 micro-fulfillment centers—small, urban warehouses designed specifically for ultra-fast deliveries—up from about 600 in January and roughly 340 a year ago. The company is adding approximately 100 such facilities each month and aims to reach 1,500 by the end of 2026.

Average delivery time for the service has declined to about 11 minutes, down from 13 minutes a year earlier. Monthly repeat purchase rates stand at 65% to 70%, while transactions per customer have risen 50% to 60% year-on-year.

Customer behavior and product strategy

Customers spend an average of ₹400 to ₹500 (approximately $4.20–$5.20) per order on Flipkart Minutes. Fast-growing categories include fruits and vegetables, staples, dairy, and meat. The platform is also broadening its selection of premium items, including organic and artisanal gourmet products.

Satish Meena, an adviser at Datum Intelligence, told TechCrunch that Flipkart’s existing e-commerce user base provides a significant advantage: “Flipkart is already a serious player,” he said. “Once you open 1,000 dark stores and [are] doing a million orders per day, it’s serious enough.”

Broader competitive dynamics

Flipkart’s push coincides with Amazon’s accelerated rollout of Amazon Now in India. During CEO Andy Jassy’s June visit to the country, Amazon stated that Now had become its fastest-growing business there, with order volume doubling every quarter since launch. The company plans to expand the service to more than 300 cities and establish over 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers alongside larger distribution hubs.

According to Meena, the expansion is both defensive and offensive: “Can you go back to scheduled delivery now in grocery? No,” he said. “You will not go back.”

Flipkart, Amazon, Swiggy, Zepto, and Blinkit’s parent company Eternal did not respond to requests for comment.