Quick commerce platforms built their success on speed, with 10-minute delivery claims becoming a powerful marketing hook. However, these aggressive timelines raised serious concerns about rider safety, unrealistic customer expectations, and pressure on delivery partners navigating traffic-clogged cities. This prompted government authorities to direct platforms to remove rigid, time-bound delivery promises from their branding.

Major aggregators have since begun revising their public messaging, replacing bold “10-minute” claims with softer language around convenience and efficiency. While this marks a shift in marketing, it does not necessarily signal a slowdown in actual deliveries. Industry insiders suggest the change is largely cosmetic, aimed at aligning promotional language with operational realities.

In practice, 10-minute delivery was never a guaranteed service but a best-case scenario dependent on proximity to dark stores. Customers living close to fulfillment hubs often received orders quickly, while others experienced wait times of 20 minutes or more during peak demand. Unlike Domino’s historic 30-minute guarantee, quick commerce platforms never offered compensation for delays.

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Concerns around rider safety fueled the debate, with critics arguing that time pressure could encourage reckless riding. Aggregators, however, deny penalizing delivery partners for delays. Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has publicly stated that riders were never forced to meet unrealistic timelines, and no verified data suggests systematic punishment for slower deliveries.

Operationally, delivery times remain dynamic and influenced by factors such as dark store density, traffic conditions, rider availability, and routing algorithms. In dense urban pockets like parts of Noida, Mumbai’s BKC, or central Bengaluru, apps still show delivery estimates of under 10 minutes, while less dense areas may see longer timelines.

Ultimately, the regulatory move is unlikely to trigger a structural reset in quick commerce. Consumer behavior remains driven by convenience rather than strict time guarantees. While the “10-minute” tagline may disappear, fast deliveries—sometimes even within 10 minutes—will continue wherever infrastructure and conditions allow.

Also Read: Quick-Commerce Giants End 10-Minute Delivery Claims After Government Intervention