India Bans 10-Minute Delivery, CAIT Hails Move for Gig Worker Safety

The reaction has come after the labour minister persuaded the quick-commerce brands like Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato, and Swiggy to remove the 10-minute delivery promise from their applications.

CAIT clarified that this is not a recent issue; rather, the organisation has long been consistently alerting the government and the nation to the dangerous and unregulated model of quick commerce.

In this sequence, during the Monsoon Session of Parliament in 2024, CAIT's National Secretary General and MP, Praveen Khandelwal, raised this issue in Parliament. Expressing concern over the unregulated expansion of quick commerce, he introduced a Private Member's Bill seeking a complete ban on dark stores.

Speaking on the issue, he said, "I introduced a Private Member's Bill seeking a complete ban on dark stores to put a check on the unregulated model of quick commerce, which distorts urban planning, destroys local traders, promotes exploitative competition, and places unsafe pressure on delivery personnel."

Subsequently, on 22 April 2025, at a national press conference at the Constitution Club, New Delhi, CAIT exposed the so-called "dark reality" of quick commerce and e-commerce to the country.

Building on this, on 26 October 2025, CAIT sent a detailed letter to the Central Government highlighting violations of law by quick commerce and e-commerce companies, non-compliance with labour safety norms, and the exploitation of delivery personnel.

Khandelwal also said, "CAIT has continuously warned that unrealistic timelines such as 10-minute delivery force delivery personnel to take life-threatening risks."

He further stated, "This step shows that the government is fully sensitive and committed to the safety, dignity, and lives of gig workers. For this, CAIT expresses its gratitude to the Central Government."

He added, "Today's action by the government against misleading delivery claims confirms that what I have been saying both inside and outside Parliament was correct. This entire ecosystem requires structural reforms, not cosmetic changes. This is only the beginning."

Amid this ongoing discussion, quick commerce app Blinkit has already removed the 10-minute delivery promise from its branding, sources suggest. The company's principal tagline has been revised from "10,000 plus products delivered in 10 minutes" to "30,000 plus products delivered at your doorstep."

- ANI