New Delhi, Feb. 7 -- After a 5-hour workshop when I finally checked WhatsApp, there was a string of new messages. Among those, one stood out. My neighbour wanted to know if I would like some black carrots as she had ordered extra.

My eyes lit up. Black carrots are notoriously hard to come by in Bengaluru. I called her immediately to ask where she had found them, fully expecting the answer to involve a long drive or ordering online on a speciality site and a long wait to get them delivered. To my surprise, they were from a quick-commerce app. Tap, pay and receive in 15 minutes. I promptly advised her to cut her surplus into batons and freeze them for kanji-making later, and then went ahead and ordered two kilos for myself. Sometimes, all ...