Amazon Now Enters India's Quick Commerce Race

By: Asia Business Outlook Team | Monday, 18 August 2025

Amazon officially entered India’s instant delivery (quick commerce) market in June 2025 with the launch of Amazon Now, beginning in Bengaluru before expanding to Delhi-NCR.

The move places Amazon in direct competition with Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart, which already dominate the space.To scale operations, Amazon plans to establish 300 dark stores across Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru by the end of 2025. However, rivals are far ahead—Blinkit alone operates 1,544 dark stores (June 2024), while Zepto and Swiggy Instamart also run over 1,000 each. Quick commerce relies heavily on dense hyperlocal fulfillment networks to achieve 10-minute delivery promises, making late entry particularly challenging.

Key Highlights

Amazon launches Amazon Now in India, focusing on metros
Plans 300 dark stores by 2025, far fewer than rivals
Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy control 100 percent of market share

Amazon Seller Services reported a 14 percent revenue rise in FY24 with narrowed losses, but growth lagged behind pandemic-era highs. The company also achieved record demand during Prime Day 2025, with orders peaking at 18,000 per minute, reflecting strong traction in tier-II and tier-III cities. Still, Amazon plans to restrict quick commerce expansion to metros, citing limited demand in smaller towns.

India’s quick commerce market has grown explosively, from $0.1 billion in FY20 to $3.3 billion in FY24, and is projected to reach $9.95 billion by 2029. But the market is already highly concentrated: Blinkit (46 percent), Zepto (29 percent), and Swiggy Instamart (25 percent) control nearly 100 percent of market share.

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Unlike traditional e-commerce where Amazon leveraged COD and partnerships to build trust, quick commerce requires immediate infrastructure investment, making profitable catch-up strategies harder. Analysts warn that the sector’s winner-takes-most dynamics may limit Amazon’s ability to secure meaningful share.