What changed after Blinkit dropped the 10-minute promise? We spoke to delivery people

On December 31, the noisiest night of the year, packed with fireworks, music, cheers and countdowns, workers at fast-paced commercial gigs chose silence as their loudest protest. As cities celebrated the new year, delivery drivers from fast commerce platforms logged out of their apps on a day when they were needed most. No slogans, no marches, just absence. And within days, that silence forced a rethink in an industry built for speed.

Barely 13 days after delivery workers from Blinkit, Swiggy, Zepto and other fast commerce platforms went on strike, the much-touted ’10 minute delivery’ promise is starting to disappear. Blinkit became the first major player to drop the claim, with others expected to follow suit.

WHAT HAS CHANGED?

Blinkit, which once aggressively marketed itself with ultra-fast delivery, has now moved away from the promise that defined the rapid boom of Indian commerce. It quietly changed its tagline from “10,000+ products delivered in 10 minutes” to “30,000+ products delivered to your home.”

The one-time flashing 10-minute guarantee no longer appears when you click on the app. It’s the same Blinkit, which delivers milk, Maggi at midnight and last-minute snacks, but without a stopwatch counting down for the delivery person who has to risk his life for a living.

Sources indicated that Blinkit plans to drop references to “10-minute delivery” across its brand communications, including ads, marketing campaigns and social media platforms.

The move will not delay delivery times. Rather, the company is expected to move away from emphasizing specific time guarantees in its public messaging, as platforms increasingly seek to avoid obligations that could be interpreted as encouraging unsafe delivery practices.

WHAT BROUGHT THE CHANGE?

The shift comes after months of criticism that the marketing promise encouraged unsafe driving practices, often causing delivery drivers to risk their lives for speed.

Government intervention played a crucial role. Union Labor Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked fast-track companies to reconsider fixed delivery deadlines, sources told India Today. The measure follows national strikes by delivery partners on New Year’s Eve 2025 and Christmas Day.

Even as Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal claimed that the business model was not dependent on delivery drivers moving at a breakneck pace, but the location of the dark stores, the protests of the gig workers and everyday scenes from the road speak to a different reality.

More than two lakh riders reportedly refused to deliver food, groceries and other essentials on December 31, demanding fair wages, safety and dignity at work.

After the protests, the government partnered with platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy and Zomato. Mandaviya held multiple meetings with company officials, urging them to remove fixed delivery time commitments from branding and marketing campaigns.

The concern, sources said, was that such rigid timelines could increase pressure on delivery drivers – regardless of companies’ claims that deliveries are optimized through proximity and technology.

All major platforms have since assured the government that delivery time guarantees will be removed from advertisements and social media promotions.

REALITY ON THE GROUND

For delivery drivers, however, the change feels more cosmetic than real. A Blinkit delivery partner told India Today that the situation on the ground remains unchanged.

“I delivered your order in less than 10 minutes. The words may have changed, but the task and expectations are still the same,” he said.

A Zepto rider who arrived in just seven minutes with two items echoed the sentiment.

“We’re used to it now. More deliveries mean more money for us. But maybe this will help so that others don’t feel pressured to risk their lives. We’re only human.”

Another Blinkit rider said he was completely unaware of the change.

“I didn’t know anything about this. For me it’s just another day. I’m doing the same job as before.”

The responses so far from the delivery drivers suggest the victory is merely symbolic. For now, the promise of 10-minute delivery may have disappeared from billboards and app screens, but its shadow still lingers on the road.

As riders continue to race against the clock to make ends meet, the real test lies beyond the marketing language. Whether this shift translates into safer working conditions, fairer wages and realistic expectations on the ground remains to be seen. Until then, the clock may be gone, but the race is far from over.

However, it is still too early to assess the true impact on gig workers as the change has only been in effect for a day.

– Ends