By- Hanika Kashyap
Following an order by the Indian government related to concerns over worker safety, all quick commerce platforms have been asked to drop their “10-minute delivery” service.
The move may work adversely for the $11.5 billion sector of the Indian market. Notably, the platform has established a great change in how Indians shop with groceries and electronics being delivered in countable minutes.
The decision comes after discussions between the federal labour ministry and company officials. The meeting was a result of a nationwide strike by delivery riders over unsafe working conditions. E-commerce platforms, which were part of the discussion includes brands like Zomato, Blinkit, and Zepto.
While the apps offer instant deliveries, it is important to highlight that the model puts pressure on gig workers and exposes them to major safety concerns.
Back in December, many delivery workers protested against low wages and demanded dignity and safer conditions. While the strike did not last very long, it did raise questions about human safety and the cost of a life just to deliver an order in a ridiculously short time frame.
It appears the strike did turn the right heads, as a closed-door meeting was held soon after. The meeting involved the government urging quick commerce platforms to halt the promotions of tight delivery deadlines, an anonymous labour ministry official conveyed this to the BBC.
While the decision is in favor of the delivery partners, it seems not all delivery apps have complied with it. However, platforms like Blinkit have already removed the “10-minute” delivery assurance from the brand promotions and are expected to take charge in the following days as well.
The move is likely to be put into practice soon. However, according to the BBC, the estimated delivery times shown in the apps were still under 10 minutes. It seems that since some dark stores operate near residential areas, the 10-minute time cap can still be completed.