Swiggy Instamart wins quick commerce race with 8-minute delivery: JPMorgan

Swiggy Instamart was only two minutes over its 6-minute delivery promise, achieving a median delivery time of 8 minutes across the top four Indian cities, the fastest among its peers

Swiggy Instamart has taken the lead in India’s competitive quick commerce sector, setting a new benchmark for delivery speeds, according to a recent JPMorgan report. The delivery arm of Swiggy has outperformed rivals like Blinkit, Zepto, BB Now, and Flipkart Minutes, emerging as the fastest player in this rapidly expanding market.

 

JPMorgan, a key banker for Swiggy’s $1.35 billion IPO launched earlier this month, revealed that Swiggy Instamart achieved the lowest median delivery time among its peers, completing deliveries in just 8 minutes across the top four Indian cities. This performance is only 2 minutes over the company’s 6-minute delivery promise.

 

In contrast, Zepto recorded a median delivery time of 9 minutes — still the second fastest among the top players, but falling 4 minutes short of its promised 5-minute window. Blinkit, the leader in quick commerce, trailed with a median delivery time of 11 minutes, despite its promise of an 8-minute window.

 

Swiggy: The delivery pace setter

 

The report also highlighted Swiggy Instamart’s superior consistency in meeting delivery timelines. With a variance of just two minutes between its promised and actual delivery times, Swiggy performed significantly better than its competitors. Blinkit, with a variance of 3 minutes, was in second place, while Zepto lagged with a variance of 4 minutes.

 

Other notable players in the space include Tata’s BB Now, which matched its promised 11-minute delivery time, and Flipkart Minutes — the newest entrant — recording the slowest median delivery time at 15 minutes. Both BB Now and Flipkart Minutes met their promised delivery windows, but their slower speeds reflect the growing pains of scaling.

 

Speed limits in quick commerce

 

The government had earlier this year called on quick commerce companies to substantiate their claims of 10-minute deliveries. While a 4-minute buffer was allowed, the authorities stressed that any company exceeding this timeframe would need to adjust their messaging. All companies, except Flipkart Minutes, adhered to the 14-minute threshold under scrutiny. Flipkart Minutes, still in its scaling phase, particularly outside Bengaluru, is expected to have longer delivery times as it expands.

 

As the quick commerce market rapidly evolves, companies are expanding their offerings beyond groceries, delivering everything from apparel to eyewear in minutes. The sector continues to flourish, having grown into a $5.5 to $6 billion industry in just four years, with no signs of slowing down.