Walmart-backed Flipkart expands quick-commerce push as Amazon ramps up in India
Key takeaways
- Rivals Zepto and Swiggy Instamart are also expanding their networks.
- India has emerged as one of the world s fastest-growing quick-commerce markets, with companies racing to build networks that can deliver everything from groceries and beauty products to electronics in minutes.
- The competition has intensified in recent months as Amazon accelerates the rollout of Amazon Now, which is currently available in more than 15 cities and operates over 500 micro-fulfillment centers.
As quick commerce becomes India s next e-commerce battleground, Walmart-backed Flipkart said Wednesday that its Minutes service has built a network of 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers — small, strategically located warehouses designed to enable deliveries in minutes — less than two years after launch, a milestone Amazon is also targeting as it expands its fast-delivery business in the South Asian nation.
Flipkart said it plans to expand the network to 1,500 micro-fulfillment centers by the end of 2026, a rapid buildout that would further strengthen its position in India s fiercely competitive quick-commerce sector, where Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and Amazon are racing to add infrastructure and customers.
Based on current store counts and announced expansion plans, Flipkart could emerge as India s second-largest quick-commerce network by micro-fulfillment center count, behind Blinkit, which operates 2,243 such centers, according to a recent note by Jefferies. Rivals Zepto and Swiggy Instamart are also expanding their networks.