Swiggy, Zepto scrap ’10-minute delivery’ after govt order:Companies change logos and adverts, a day after Blinkit’s similar announcement

After the central government’s directive, major companies like Swiggy and Zepto have also started removing ’10-minute delivery’ claims from their platforms. The government has given strict instructions to these companies not to make such delivery time claims that put pressure on delivery partners. Earlier, Blinkit had also removed the ’10-minute’ tag from its advertisements and app. Recently, Union Labor Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a high-level meeting with representatives of quick commerce companies. The meeting discussed the safety of delivery partners and their working methods. The government believes that the promise of delivering goods in 10 minutes increases mental pressure on riders, which creates a risk of road accidents. The ministry clearly stated that companies will have to remove time constraints from their branding. Companies changed their slogan and advertising After government strictness, companies have started making changes to their apps and social media handles. Blinkit has changed its tagline from ‘10,000+ products in 10 minutes’ to ‘30,000+ products at your doorstep’. Similarly, Swiggy and Zepto have also removed the 10-minute promise from their platforms and focused on service convenience and variety instead. Concerns were about rider safety and speeding The biggest criticism of the quick commerce sector has been that riders drive fast and violate traffic rules in an attempt to meet the 10-minute deadline. According to the data, this race was leading to increased reports of stress and accidents among riders. Although companies have maintained that they don’t show time limits to riders, the impact of advertising was different on the ground. How will it affect the business model? Experts say that removing the 10-minute delivery claim from advertising doesn’t mean deliveries will be delayed. Companies will still deliver goods quickly with the help of their dark stores (local warehouses). According to Karan Taurani of Edelweiss Capital, this change is limited to branding and appearance, there won’t be any major change in the business model. Companies will now focus on ‘convenience’ and ‘more products’ as their strength instead of speed. Gig Workers’ Strike Drew Government’s Attention It should be noted that at the beginning of the new year, delivery partners went on strike in many parts of the country. Their main demands were better wages, safety, and improvement in working hours. Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha had also raised this issue in Parliament and demanded social security and dignified wages for gig workers. Only after this did the government intervene in this matter.