E-commerce Sellers

Zepto pilots Super Mall for high-value orders, launches diagnostics service

Zepto has begun piloting Super Mall for premium, non-grocery products and launched an in-app diagnostics service as the quick commerce platform tests new categories to improve margins

Quick commerce burns weigh on Swiggy in Q1; Instamart AOV jumps 25%

Revenue up 52% YoY to ₹5,048 crore; Quick commerce sees ₹896 crore loss even as Instamart GOV doubles

Amazon onboards BRISKPE as PSP to help Indian sellers scale globally

Amazon has recognised BRISKPE as a Payment Service Provider (PSP) and authorised it to provide cross-border payments on its marketplace. BRISKPE, backed by global investment firm Prosus, has rolled out the 'Launchpad', a new initiative aimed at transforming how Indian sellers expand globally, the payment service provider said in a statement on Friday. With this launch, BRISKPE moves beyond just powering payouts to building a full-stack ecosystem that helps sellers scale like global brands, it said. "The PSP approval from Amazon affirms the strength of our payment infrastructure...we're building a support system that gives Indian MSMEs the tools, partnerships, and confidence to succeed globally," Sanjay Tripathy, Co-founder and CEO of BRISKPE, said. The 'Launchpad' offers Indian Amazon sellers a complete suite of enablers: global shipping partners, tax consultants, marketplace experts, account managers, and compliance advisors -- all curated and integrated into one seamless platform

Amazon seizes 15 mn counterfeits in 2024, uses AI to fight fake goods

Amazon identified, seized, and disposed of more than 15 million counterfeit products globally in 2024, preventing these knockoffs from harming customers or being peddled elsewhere, according to a latest report that underlined how the e-commerce giant is extensively using AI to crackdown on fake goods. Amazon said, last year, it invested over a billion dollars and employed thousands of people -- including machine learning scientists, software developers, and expert investigators -- who were dedicated to protecting customers, brands, selling partners, and store from counterfeit, fraud, and other forms of abuse. Investment in artificial intelligence has enabled the company to improve proactive controls, automating and scaling intellectual property protection and counterfeit detection systems, Amazon's 2024 Brand Protection Report said. The report said Amazon's proactive controls blocked more than 99 per cent of suspected infringing listings before a brand ever had to find and report ..

Reducing fees helps sellers reach deeper into Tier 3, 4 cities: Amit Nanda

Nanda said this is Amazon India's highest-ever reduction in seller fees to support lakhs of small businesses across the country selling on its platform

BIS cracks down on e-commerce giants over non-certified products

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has conducted raids on warehouses of major e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Flipkart, seizing thousands of uncertified consumer products, the consumer affairs ministry said on Saturday. During a raid on March 7 at an Amazon warehouse in Lucknow, BIS officials seized 215 toys and 24 hand blenders that lacked the mandatory BIS certification, an official statement said. A similar operation at the e-commerce giant's Gurugram facility in February yielded 58 aluminium foils, 34 metallic water bottles, 25 toys, 20 hand blenders, 7 PVC cables, 2 food mixers and 1 speaker -- all without proper certification. At a Flipkart warehouse in Gurugram, operated by Instakart Services Pvt Ltd, authorities confiscated 534 stainless steel vacuum-insulated bottles, 134 toys and 41 speakers that failed to meet the required standards. BIS's investigations revealed that many of these non-certified products were linked to Techvision International Pvt ...

Blinkit starts delivering Apple products in 10 minutes in selected cities

Quick commerce player Blinkit has started delivering Apple products, including MacBook Air, iPad and AirPods, within 10 minutes in select cities in India, its founder & CEO Albinder Dhindsa said on Thursday. In a post on X, he said consumers can now get MacBook Air, iPad, AirPods, Apple Watch, and other Apple accessories delivered in 10 minutes. "We've started delivering in - Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Kolkata," he wrote. In the quarter that ended December 31, 2024, the quick commerce business of Zomato incurred a Rs 103 crore loss largely on account of pulling forward the growth investments. In the letter to shareholders, Zomato stated that the company expects the losses in quick commerce business under Blinkit to continue in the near term due to the investments. While intensifying competition accelerated customer awareness and adoption of quick commerce, Dhindsa had noted that it led to a pause in margin ...

Swiggy Instamart halts non-veg delivery in select cities on Mahashivratri

Swiggy Instamart took down non-veg items including eggs, meat and fish for delivery in select cities like Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad on the occasion of Mahashivratri on Wednesday, although the deliveries were restored by the evening in few cities, the quick commerce platform's app showed. Sources said the decision to remove non-vegetarian items from the delivery menu in certain locations was taken to respect religious sentiments, as Swiggy Instamart is delivering the sacred Tandool Mahaprasad Ladoos directly from the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Mahashivratri. Meanwhile, some users took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to raise objection to the move, and shared screenshots to show non-veg items such as meat, fish and eggs being removed from the grocery section on Swiggy Instamart. Available only on Swiggy Instamart on Maha Shivratri, the Tandool Mahaprasad Ladoos are the same ladoos served at the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Swiggy Instamart will deliver .

India's qcom may struggle to maintain current growth: Blume Ventures

These companies deliver groceries to electronics within minutes and their market share has grown to $7.1 billion in fiscal year 2025 from just $300 million in 2022

Inside India's quick commerce boom: Earnings, growth & gig workforce trends

While the industry promises rapid employment growth, questions remain about the sustainability of gig jobs, benefits, and long-term viability

Iffco warns against unauthorised sale of its products on e-com platforms

The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO) on Wednesday issued a stern warning against the unauthorized sale of its products on e-commerce platforms, stating it has not granted permission to any online marketplace to sell its products. The world's largest fertiliser cooperative emphasized that purchases made through these unauthorized platforms would be at the buyer's own risk and liability. IFFCO, in a statement, also said these platforms were misleading buyers by charging unfair rates and selling discarded products. "IFFCO will initiate legal action against those involved in unauthorized sales without an FCO licence or the required 'O' Form." The cooperative, which has been serving farmers for more than five decades, clarified that only its authorized retailers can sell IFFCO products through approved channels. The official prices for all products, including nano-fertilisers, are available on the company's website (www.iffco.in). IFFCO also cautioned against fraudulen

E-commerce a challenge for direct selling industry's growth: IDSA chief

Indian Direct Selling Association Chairman Vivek Katoch on Tuesday said the e-commerce sector is a challenge for the industry's growth, and the organisation is in talks with the government to address the issue. He also said that only 10 states have either notified regulations or formed monitoring committees to protect the interests of consumers. "E-commerce is a challenge for the direct selling industry. Our products are being sold online with a discounted price. We are working with the government on this," Katoch said at a press conference here. He said that IDSA is negotiating with the government to control the digital marketing sites so that direct selling products are not sold through online mode. "We are demanding that if at all such products are sold online, it should be done at maximum retail prices and not with heavily discounted rates," Katoch said. Asked about the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules, 2021, the industry veteran said the law empowered states to fram

Consumer protection: Seller can't charge for bag carrying its name

The National Commission held that charging a customer for a bag, which prominently displayed the company's name, logo, or tagline, amounted to advertising at the customer's expense

Magicpin's top management delivers food on bikes on New Year's Eve

Hyperlocal e-commerce firm Magicpin's top management, led by CEO Anshoo Sharma, went out on bikes to deliver food to customers on New Year's Eve, according to a company's post on a social media platform. The deliveries were done in Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore. "It's the busiest night of the year, and our Leadership will hustle on the ground with our delivery partners. While some operate from the warmth of cosy offices and war rooms; we will End and Start our Year meeting our customers. Looking forward to the hustle and rush this New Year's Eve and distributing smiles all the way from 2024 to 2025," Magicpin said on X. The photo posted by the company featured Sharma, Enterprise business CXO Naman Mawandia, Enterprise & Food Delivery business Director Suyash Jaiswal, Sales and Dining out, AVP, Vinod Jain, Enterprise Business Director Indrajit Nair and Finance AVP Tarun Kumar. The company recently forayed into quick commerce for food delivery with the launch of its magicNow brand

CCI seeks more info on anti-competitive allegations against qcom companies

The Competition Commission, which has received a complaint of anti-competitive practices against quick commerce companies, is waiting for more information on the allegations from the complainant before taking a decision on the matter. The complaint was submitted by the All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) to the the commerce and industry ministry. Competition Commission of India (CCI) Chairperson Ravneet Kaur said a complaint against quick commerce firms alleging that they indulged in predatory pricing and other anti-competitive practices was forwarded by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to the regulator. "CCI has asked the informant to furnish details and information as per the requirements of the Competition Act. Reminders have also been sent to the informant to furnish the requisite information," Kaur told PTI in a recent interview. The watchdog first assesses a complaint to ascertain whether there are prima-facie violation

FRAI asks govt to provide support to 'kirana' stores facing qcom challenge

The Federation of Retailer Association of India on Tuesday asked the government to provide enhanced technology platform to Kirana stores to enable them to compete with quick commerce firms. "Such support would enable the kirana stores to remain competitive amidst the increasing encroachment into their space by quick commerce companies like Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit or Zepto," said Federation of Retailer Association of India (FRAI), which says that it represents about 80 lakh micro, small and medium retailers from across the country with a membership of 42 retail associations. Providing local kirana stores with a technology platform would allow them to compete on equal terms with quick commerce players, effectively creating a level-playing field, it added. "With new technologies brought in by the government, like ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce), what is now required is a more focused approach in creating a specific solution for kirana stores that makes them as discoverable a

Amazon pledges to enable $80 bn exports from India by 2030; partners DPIIT

E-commerce giant Amazon on Tuesday announced its commitment to enable USD 80 billion in cumulative exports from India by 2030 and said it has partnered with DPIIT to establish India as a global manufacturing hub. Amit Agarwal, Senior Vice President for Emerging Markets at Amazon, made the announcements during the company's annual 'Smbhav Summit'. "Motivated by the progress that we made in driving exports out of India...we are quadrupling our focus in India... we are going to advance our commitment to enable USD 80 billion in exports by 2030," Agarwal said. Amazon had earlier pledged to digitising 10 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), achieving USD 20 billion in cumulative exports from India, and creating 2 million jobs in the country by 2025. "We are humbled to share that we have hit our pledge to digitise 10 million small businesses one year ahead of time and have enabled over 12 million small businesses to become a part of the digital economy. We have enabled .

Myntra pilots foray into quick commerce with 'M-Now' in parts of Bengaluru

Flipkart-backed lifestyle e-commerce platform Myntra is piloting a quick delivery service that guarantees delivery within two hours in select areas of Bengaluru. The pilot project, "M-Now," is operational in a few pin codes in Bengaluru and offers a limited selection of products "to see how it works", according to a source. The service will be rolled out to additional locations based on the learnings from the pilot, the source added. In 2022, the Bengaluru-based firm launched an express delivery service called M-Express in metro cities, aiming to deliver products within 24-48 hours of order placement. "We launched M-Express earlier, towards enhancing the customer-experience with regard to speed and have been experimenting with a pilot for faster delivery in a select few pincodes. We will look at expanding it further based on the insights gained, before launching it formally," a Myntra spokesperson told PTI. While quick commerce platforms are increasingly adding beauty and fashion

Alibaba Group combines e-commerce arms to tackle growing competition

Alibaba split into six business units in 2023, in the biggest revamp of its 24-year history

Zepto expands cafe service to major cities; eyes Rs 1k cr revenue run-rate

Quick commerce platform Zepto on Monday said announced the rollout of its cafe service in major cities and said it targets a revenue run-rate of Rs 1,000 crore by 2026. It will serve through over 120 Cafes at stores across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and soon in Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune, a company statement said. "We have cracked 10-minute delivery with high-quality food preparation processes, which is why we are seeing strong customer love. Over the past year, our team has meticulously researched and sourced state-of-the-art equipment for our cafes, including coffee machines that employ handcrafted brewing techniques," Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha said. Serving the concept of a quick meal for today's fast-paced urban lifestyle, the online cafe features a diverse menu with over 148 items, including freshly brewed chai, coffee, all-day breakfast, pastries, and savoury snacks, promising a 10-minute delivery service, it added. Zepto Cafe was launched in April 2022 as a division of Zepto,