India, Sept. 16 -- By early 2021, India's online grocery market had reached an inflexion point. The initial challenge, persuading consumers to buy from e-marketplaces for convenience, was largely over. Same-day delivery was fast becoming an industry benchmark. And the race was shifting to the next battleground: Speed. A handful of ambitious players were gearing up to offer 'instant' doorstep delivery.

The concept was not exactly novel. Ultra-fast delivery had its first run in the US, Europe and parts of Asia in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Early players like Delivery Hero, Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat built their empires on restaurant deliveries, much like Zomato in India. But GoPuff stood out, extending the model to snacks, hous...