As Blinkit, Zepto, others drop 10-min claim, here's what changes: Experts say ‘just optics’, gig workers explain

Leading quick commerce firms such as Swiggy, Blinkit and Zepto have dropped the tagline promoting "10-minute" delivery after a strike and an intervention from the government, but experts point to a nuance to term the move merely “optics-driven” with little change out in the field.

The intervention from the government came amid a push to ensure greater safety and improved conditions for gig workers.

However, experts have suggested that the removal of "10-minute delivery" catchline is largely optics than real changes in business. "The removal of the 10-minute delivery catchline is largely optics-driven rather than business-altering," Karan Taurani, executive vice president at Elara Capital, told news agency Reuters.

"The proposition of quick commerce continues to be anchored in speed, convenience, and proximity-led fulfillment, which remains structurally superior to horizontal e-commerce timelines," he added.

Despite the government's order, the companies are under no legal binding to not offer the fast delivery services. In at least one area of Delhi, Blinkit showed delivery within eight minutes on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Eternal, which is the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, clarified on Tuesday that there was no change in the business model for its quick commerce platform, Blinkit.

Gig workers in the national capital have been saying that the new changes will make little difference to them on the ground. The workers said that with the higher volume of deliveries and low earning per delivery, the pressure would remain, said the report.

On Christmas and New Year's Eve, gig workers across the country held protests and a partial strike to draw attention to their working conditions and unsafe delivery demands.

Several gig workers, while speaking with HT, said with no compulsion to deliver within a certain time limit, gig workers would still try to deliver quickly if they want to earn a certain amount at the end of the day.

“There is no time limit within which we must deliver an order, but the volume of orders we deliver and the time within which we order them is directly related to our incentives and rating,” a 25-year-old delivery agent based in Delhi explained.

The fast-delivery firms also in an indirect way promote longer working hours by providing incentives linked to the number of hours they work.

A 20-year-old delivery partner said he is tied to an offer that gives him an incentive if he works nearly 15 hours a day. “No formal communication about the 10-minute branding being removed has been communicated to us yet, but even if it is, that changes very little on the ground for us. We are happy that something positive is coming out from us raising our voices but this is not nearly enough," a 25-year-old delivery agent told HT.com on the condition of anonymity.