New Delhi: Leading quick-commerce platforms including Swiggy, Blinkit, and Zepto have recently dropped the much-publicized “10-minute delivery” tagline from their services. The move comes after widespread gig worker protests, partial strikes over the Christmas and New Year period, and government intervention aimed at ensuring safer working conditions and reducing the extreme pressure associated with hyper-fast deliveries.

However, experts suggest that the removal of the “10-minute delivery” catchline is largely optics-driven, with minimal impact on the underlying business model or the experience of gig workers on the ground. “The removal of the 10-minute delivery catchline is largely optics-driven rather than business-altering,” said Karan Taurani, Executive Vice President at Elara Capital, speaking to Reuters. He added that the core value proposition of quick commerce—anchored in speed, convenience, and proximity-led fulfillment—remains structurally superior to standard e-commerce timelines and continues unabated.

Government Intervention and Its Impact

The government’s intervention targeted the safety and welfare of gig workers, who have faced intense pressure to meet ultra-fast delivery timelines, sometimes compromising their health and safety on the road. Although the government prompted the companies to stop advertising “10-minute delivery,” there is no legal obligation preventing them from continuing to offer extremely fast deliveries. In fact, reports from certain areas in Delhi show Blinkit fulfilling orders in as little as eight minutes, indicating that the operational speed remains unchanged.

Eternal, the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, clarified that the removal of the “10-minute” tagline does not reflect any change in the company’s quick-commerce business model. Other platforms such as Zepto and Swiggy have made similar clarifications, signaling that the change is primarily branding-related rather than structural.

Gig Workers See Little Change on the Ground

Gig workers themselves have largely echoed this sentiment, stating that the day-to-day pressures and incentives remain largely the same despite the rebranding. A 25-year-old delivery agent based in Delhi explained:

“There is no time limit within which we must deliver an order, but the volume of orders we deliver and the time in which we deliver them is directly related to our incentives and rating.”

Even without the formal 10-minute requirement, gig workers are motivated to deliver quickly to maximize earnings, maintain ratings, and access additional incentives tied to performance. These incentives indirectly encourage long working hours, with some workers reporting schedules of 12–15 hours per day during peak periods. A 20-year-old delivery partner noted that he is currently participating in an offer that rewards him for extended hours, emphasizing that branding changes do not relieve the practical pressure faced by delivery personnel.

Strikes and Worker Protests

The removal of the 10-minute tagline comes on the heels of gig worker unrest over the past few months. On Christmas and New Year’s Eve, delivery partners across multiple cities staged partial strikes and protests to draw attention to unsafe delivery demands, low per-order earnings, and excessive working hours. The protests reportedly played a role in prompting government scrutiny of quick-commerce practices and influencing the decision to remove hyper-fast delivery claims from public marketing.

Nevertheless, while these steps are seen as symbolic victories, gig workers argue that the core incentive structures and operational pressures remain largely unchanged. A 25-year-old delivery agent told HT.com, speaking on condition of anonymity:

“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. We are happy that something positive is coming out from us raising our voices, but this is not nearly enough.”

Quick Commerce’s Structural Realities

Experts highlight that the quick-commerce business model inherently relies on rapid delivery times and high-volume operations. Removing a branding claim does not alter the speed-oriented fulfillment structure of these platforms. Taurani noted that the market continues to favor proximity-led fulfillment where micro-warehouses and dense city logistics enable faster deliveries than traditional e-commerce channels.

As such, while companies have adjusted their public messaging, the operational realities of gig work remain intense. Delivery agents continue to navigate tight deadlines, traffic, weather conditions, and long shifts, all while striving to maintain high ratings to qualify for bonuses and incentives.

Moving Forward

The decision to drop the “10-minute delivery” tagline represents a government-mandated adjustment in optics rather than a substantive operational shift. Quick-commerce firms are likely to continue leveraging speed, efficiency, and convenience as the central pillars of their service, while gig workers remain subject to the same incentive-driven pressures that prompted protests in the first place.

While regulatory intervention has highlighted the risks of hyper-fast delivery models and prompted companies to reconsider public messaging, the structural incentives that encourage fast delivery and long hours persist. For gig workers, the change may be symbolic but insufficient, emphasizing the ongoing debate over worker safety, labor rights, and the sustainability of ultra-fast delivery ecosystems.

In conclusion, while the removal of the 10-minute delivery claim is being celebrated as a step toward safer gig work, analysts and delivery agents alike suggest that the realities on the ground remain largely unchanged, pointing to a need for more comprehensive reforms addressing the conditions and compensation structures of gig economy workers.