India, March 25 -- 47 pm on a weekday, a Bengaluru-based professional realises that she is out of milk. It is 20 minutes before she needs to leave for the office. Two taps on an app, and the delivery is made in 12 minutes. A few minutes to heat it up, and a minute to gulp, and our happy and satisfied customer is on her way to the office. No planning, minimal waiting, no anxiety. This is now a habit among urban customers, who are hooked to quick commerce. Blink, and it is there.

This shift has translated into rapid market expansion, and astounding growth in revenues of quick-commerce firms. According to RedSeer, the segment clocked $3.3 billion in gross order value in 2023, and may have crossed or neared the $5-billion mark in 2025. The g...