Flipkart Minutes has overtaken Swiggy Instamart in the number of dark stores across India’s top 10 quick-commerce cities, marking a significant shift in the country’s rapidly growing instant delivery market. According to a CLSA report, Flipkart Minutes now operates 627 dark stores compared to Swiggy Instamart’s 615. Blinkit continues to dominate the sector with 969 stores, followed by Zepto with 828 stores, while BigBasket has a network of 497 stores. The report highlights intensifying competition as companies race to strengthen their delivery infrastructure and expand their reach.
Among the top 10 cities, Blinkit leads in six major markets, including Bengaluru, Delhi, Pune, Gurugram, Lucknow and Ahmedabad, while Zepto has the largest presence in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai. Flipkart Minutes leads only in Kolkata but has managed to surpass Swiggy overall due to its broader expansion and greater pincode coverage. Bengaluru remains India’s biggest quick-commerce market with 735 dark stores, followed by Delhi with 531 stores, reflecting the growing demand for ultra-fast delivery services in metropolitan cities.
The report also notes that quick-commerce companies are focusing not only on increasing store numbers but also on improving store density to enable faster deliveries and better inventory management. While Swiggy Instamart added the highest number of new dark stores over the past month, Flipkart Minutes’ rapid expansion has strengthened its position in the market. Analysts believe competition among Blinkit, Zepto, Flipkart Minutes and Swiggy Instamart will continue to intensify as companies expand into underpenetrated cities and neighbourhoods to capture new customers and boost market share.
