10-Minute Delivery Model In India’s Quick-Commerce Sector

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

• The rise of the 10-minute delivery model in India’s quick-commerce sector promises unparalleled convenience for consumers, questioning its necessity and sustainability.
  • Recently, more than a lakh gig and platform workers across the country went on strike, demanding an end to the 10–20-minute delivery system that dominates the quick commerce sector.

About Quick Commerce Sector

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognizes quick-commerce as a ‘transformative innovation in last-mile logistics and urban consumer retail’.
• It has evolved rapidly, blending e-commerce, logistics tech, and gig economy structures to deliver essentials within 10 to 20 minutes.
• According to the NITI Aayog Digital Economy Report (2024), ‘quick-commerce models represent the convergence of data analytics, AI logistics, and on-demand consumer ecosystems’.
• 10-Minute Delivery Model integrates AI-driven demand forecasting, micro-warehousing, and urban routing optimization.

Market Overview

• The Indian Q-commerce market reached ₹25,300 crore (USD 3.1 billion) in FY2024–25.
  • Projected growth rate: 49% CAGR through 2028.
• Between 2024 and 2027: Quick Commerce industry is projected to grow threefold, reaching ₹1 – 1.5 lakh crore, with a 28% annual growth rate.
• Over 600 dark stores operate nationwide, concentrated in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

Employment & Labour Participation

• According to the Ministry of Labour & Employment (Annual Gig Work Bulletin, 2024–25):
  • Over 3.5 lakh individuals are employed in Q-commerce delivery.
  • 60% are part-time gig workers, with daily average earnings between ₹700–₹1,200.
• According to NITI Aayog, India’s gig workforce could reach 2.35 crore by 2029–30.

Core Issue In 10-Minutes Delivery Model

• Issue of Employment: Nearly 20 million new job-seekers enter the market each year, while only about 2 million formal jobs are created.
  • In this vacuum, gig platforms have provided a vital employment bridge for millions of low-skill workers.
• Human Pressure over Technology: The ‘10-minute delivery’ is not powered solely by algorithms; it depends on a massive human workforce operating under unstable wages, opaque rules, and the constant threat of app deactivation.
• Economic Imbalance: Labour remains the adjustable variable, while tech and marketing costs are protected.
  • Fast delivery benefits consumers marginally but extracts immense costs from workers’ well-being.
• Ethical Contradiction: Society does not accept unsafe shortcuts in other industries like child labour or ignoring factory safety just to reduce costs.
  • Similarly, exploiting human speed for consumer convenience should not be normalized.
• Labour Codes and Their Limitations: India’s new Labour Codes, while extending nominal recognition to gig workers, fall short of offering mandatory social security. Key shortcomings include:
  • Non-Mandatory Provisions: Benefits like accident insurance and maternity support depend on future government notifications and funding availability.
  • Exclusion From Core Labour Rights: Gig workers are not classified as employees, excluding them from minimum wage, paid leave, and collective bargaining rights.
  • Algorithmic Blind Spots: The Codes ignore algorithmic control, the opaque systems that dictate worker allocation, ratings, and income fluctuations.
• Other Concerns:

• Safety: Rising delivery accidents prompted the Labour Ministry’s Safe Miles Initiative (2025).
• Urban Congestion: The Urban Development Ministry warns that ‘dark-store proliferation’ requires new zoning norms.
• Data Privacy: The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, now fully enforced, regulates customer location and behavioral data analytics.

Related Efforts & Initiatives

• Social Security Code for Gig & Platform Workers (2025 Draft): It includes mandatory accident insurance, health coverage under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, and data transparency in pay algorithms.
• Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC): It has piloted ‘Quick Retail Nodes’, integrating Q-commerce sellers into a unified digital infrastructure.
• Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 (Amendment, 2024): It mandates transparency in delivery time claims; disclosure of delivery agent working conditions; and accountability for false ‘10-minute’ marketing promises.
• Sustainable Packaging Compliance: MoEF&CC mandates sustainable packaging compliance, requiring all Q-commerce players to transition to 100% recyclable material by 2026.

Way Forward: Beyond Quick Commerce

• The NITI Aayog Digital Logistics Vision (2025–2030) forecasts:
  • Expansion to Tier-II and Tier-III cities through ONDC integration.
  • Predictive Commerce powered by AI to pre-position goods near high-demand areas.
  • Stronger collaboration between state governments, DPIIT, and startups for safe, sustainable Q-commerce ecosystems.
• Sustainable solutions lie in revitalizing labour-intensive sectors like manufacturing, construction, and textiles. To ensure inclusive growth, India needs to:
  • Strengthen social safety nets for all forms of work;
  • Reform labour laws to include digital-era protections;
  • Promote responsible AI governance in the platform economy.

Source: TH