Blinkit drops 10-minute delivery claim after Labour Min intervenes; Swiggy, Zepto may follow suit

New Delhi: Eternal-owned quick-commerce firm Blinkit has dropped its '10-minute' delivery claim after intervention by the Labour Ministry amid growing concerns over the welfare and safety of delivery workers.

Other aggregators, like Zepto and Swiggy-owned Instamart, are also expected to follow suit in the coming days, sources told PTI.

Sources said the decision to remove the '10-minute' delivery deadline came after Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya persuaded the delivery aggregators in this regard.

Mandaviya chaired a meeting last week with leading platforms, including Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy, to address concerns related to delivery timelines, they added.

Sources further revealed that Blinkit has already acted on the directive and removed the 10-minute delivery promise from its branding.

The move is aimed at ensuring greater safety, security and improved working conditions for gig workers.

As part of this change, Blinkit has updated its brand messaging.

The company’s principal tagline has been revised from "10,000+ products delivered in 10 minutes" to "30,000+ products delivered at your doorstep," they said.

The promise of 10-minute delivery led to gig workers holding a nationwide strike on New Year's Eve in 2025, drawing attention to workers' health, safety and income.

AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said he was grateful to the central government for its "timely, decisive and compassionate intervention" in enforcing the removal of 10-minute delivery branding from quick commerce platforms.

"This is a much-needed step because when '10 minutes' is printed on a rider’s t-shirt/ jacket/ bag and a timer runs on the customer’s screen, the pressure is real, constant, and dangerous. This step will help ensure the safety of the delivery riders and everyone who shares our roads," Chadha said in a post on X.

Over the past months, the MP said he has spoken to hundreds of delivery partners.

Many are overworked, underpaid and risking their life to fulfil an unrealistic promise, he noted.

"I thank every citizen who stood with us - you stood firmly on the side of human life, safety & dignity. And to every gig worker - you’re not alone, we’re all with you," Chadha said.

In a video message on X, he said that even though the plight of gig workers did not reach the management of quick commerce firms, it did to the central government, which has now acted on their concerns.

Chadha also said that even though he was pro-industry and pro-business, he would never support exploitation, as the lives of gig workers were at risk due to this '10-minute delivery' tag.

This decision would not only ensure the safety and security of gig workers but would also help ensure their dignity and working conditions," he noted.

Chadha had on Monday shared a video of himself dressed as a Blinkit delivery agent and delivering orders, drawing attention to the daily grind of gig workers and renewing his call for better working conditions in India's fast-growing quick commerce sector.

Earlier, Chadha had raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session.

In a statement, Gig and Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) welcomed and appreciated the government's intervention and decision to discontinue the 10-minute instant delivery system.

"This is an important step toward ensuring the safety, health, and dignity of gig and platform workers. Healthy workers are productive workers, and they are central to India’s vision of being the fastest-growing major economy by 2030."

The union has submitted a demand letter to Labour Minister Mandaviya on December 24, 2025.

It also filed a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission on January 12, 2026, with the same plight.

At the same time, time-bound targets and algorithm-driven pressures remain widespread across the gig economy, creating conditions that can closely resemble forced labour, the union said.

To achieve India's national goal of eradicating forced labour by 2030, these practices must be addressed comprehensively, it added.

This is an opportunity for all stakeholders -- governments, companies, and workers -- to come together.

Companies can lead by adopting verified, worker-centred systems that prioritise wellbeing, safety, and dignity, proving that responsible business and innovation go hand in hand, the union said.

To be sure, while the 10-minute delivery branding was still visible on the Google Play Store and iOS App store for Zepto, Instamart and BigBasket, there was no such branding for Blinkit.

In a recent post on X, Eternal Group CEO Deepinder Goyal had claimed that the 10-minute delivery promise does not pressure riders or lead to unsafe driving, as they are not shown the 10-minute timer on the app.

"Quick commerce’s 10-minute promise DOES NOT put pressure on gig workers, and it DOESN’T lead to unsafe driving. Why? The most common concern is that faster delivery promises translate into pressure on delivery partners to drive unsafely. That isn't how the system operates.

"Firstly, delivery partners are not shown customer-facing time promises. There is no '10-minute timer' or countdown in the delivery app. 10-minute or faster deliveries are primarily due to our stores being closer to customers and not by higher speeds on the road," Goyal had stated in the post.

Eternal owns quick commerce firm Blinkit.