Tanisha Singh is getting ready for work early one morning and cooking a simple curry for her lunchbox when she realises she's out of tomatoes. Onions are already frying in the pan. Going out to buy vegetables is not an option, as local vegetable vendors won't be open.
So Tanisha picks up her phone. On a quick-delivery app, tomatoes are available. Eight minutes later, the doorbell rings. The tomatoes have arrived.
What might feel remarkable in some parts of the world has become commonplace in Delhi and other big Indian cities. Groceries, books, soft drinks, and even the occasional iPhone can now be delivered to people's doorsteps in minutes. It's a convenience many don't strictly need, yet have quickly grown used to.
Unlike traditional retailers, platforms such as Blinkit, Swiggy, Instamart, and Zepto don't deliver from large supermarkets or distant warehouses. Instead, they operate out of small storage units embedded deep inside residential neighbourhoods.
Known as 'dark stores', these facilities are typically located just a few kilometres from customers, allowing delivery riders to reach homes in minutes. They are designed purely for speed, packed with essentials, making everything inside arranged for fast picking rather than browsing.
Inside these stores, goods are stacked neatly on racks with vegetables in one section and freezer units in another corner, while aisles are narrow enough that only workers can weave through them. The moment an order pops up on the screen, workers jump into action - picking, scanning, and packing items into trademark brown bags with almost robotic precision.
Delivery riders then set off to fulfill those orders. Once they reach the destination, delivering in populated areas brings its own challenges, as addresses can be hard to pin down amid dense neighborhood layouts.
For gig workers like Muhammad Faiyaz Alam, who understands the stakes behind speedy deliveries, each task is a race against the clock, driven partly by the need for earnings. While deliveries riddle the streets, Alam tries to complete around 40 deliveries a day earning sporadically as he balances incentives with the unpredictable nature of the app-driven gig economy.
Despite the rapid growth, quick-commerce remains a small fraction of India's retail economy, and the push for speed can sometimes endanger both workers' safety and income stability.
As awareness starts to shift, and recent surveys hint at a willingness among consumers to accept longer wait times, it remains to be seen whether significant changes will emerge. Still, for now, the pressure of fast-paced urban life continues to be measured in minutes, resting heavily on the hardworking gig economy.
So Tanisha picks up her phone. On a quick-delivery app, tomatoes are available. Eight minutes later, the doorbell rings. The tomatoes have arrived.
What might feel remarkable in some parts of the world has become commonplace in Delhi and other big Indian cities. Groceries, books, soft drinks, and even the occasional iPhone can now be delivered to people's doorsteps in minutes. It's a convenience many don't strictly need, yet have quickly grown used to.
Unlike traditional retailers, platforms such as Blinkit, Swiggy, Instamart, and Zepto don't deliver from large supermarkets or distant warehouses. Instead, they operate out of small storage units embedded deep inside residential neighbourhoods.
Known as 'dark stores', these facilities are typically located just a few kilometres from customers, allowing delivery riders to reach homes in minutes. They are designed purely for speed, packed with essentials, making everything inside arranged for fast picking rather than browsing.
Inside these stores, goods are stacked neatly on racks with vegetables in one section and freezer units in another corner, while aisles are narrow enough that only workers can weave through them. The moment an order pops up on the screen, workers jump into action - picking, scanning, and packing items into trademark brown bags with almost robotic precision.
Delivery riders then set off to fulfill those orders. Once they reach the destination, delivering in populated areas brings its own challenges, as addresses can be hard to pin down amid dense neighborhood layouts.
For gig workers like Muhammad Faiyaz Alam, who understands the stakes behind speedy deliveries, each task is a race against the clock, driven partly by the need for earnings. While deliveries riddle the streets, Alam tries to complete around 40 deliveries a day earning sporadically as he balances incentives with the unpredictable nature of the app-driven gig economy.
Despite the rapid growth, quick-commerce remains a small fraction of India's retail economy, and the push for speed can sometimes endanger both workers' safety and income stability.
As awareness starts to shift, and recent surveys hint at a willingness among consumers to accept longer wait times, it remains to be seen whether significant changes will emerge. Still, for now, the pressure of fast-paced urban life continues to be measured in minutes, resting heavily on the hardworking gig economy.
