Business Today Magazine

Business Today Magazine’s latest cover story turns the spotlight on India’s increasingly crowded quick commerce market, where the battle is shifting from breakneck expansion to profitability. After years of deep discounts, aggressive customer acquisition and rapid dark store expansion, investors are now asking a tougher question: can these platforms convert massive scale into sustainable profits? The competitive landscape is also widening. Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart and BigBasket are now facing growing pressure from Amazon Now and Flipkart Minutes as quick commerce becomes central to the battle for India’s urban consumer. Blinkit has emerged as an early profitability leader, while rivals are recalibrating strategies around costs, unit economics and expansion. The next battleground is already moving beyond groceries, with platforms betting on private labels, general merchandise, beauty and personal care, and other higher margin categories. The opportunity remains enormous. India’s quick commerce market is expected to reach $250 billion by 2030, even as online grocery currently accounts for only 1 to 2% of urban grocery consumption. The eventual winners may therefore be determined not simply by who grows fastest, but by who can combine scale with operational discipline, stronger unit economics and steady cash flows. Collectively, the latest issue captures quick commerce at a critical inflection point, as intensifying competition tests whether India can sustain multiple players in a capital intensive business that demands both scale and a clear path to profitability. All this and more in the latest issue of Business Today Magazine. Out on stands now.