India’s quick-commerce sector is witnessing a fresh round of aggressive discounting amid renewed push by Amazon and Flipkart, but incumbents Blinkit and Swiggy’s Instamart are largely staying out of the price war as they chase profitability, industry executives said.
Market leader Blinkit, owned by Eternal, achieved operating-level breakeven in the third quarter of FY26 and reported an operating profit in the fourth quarter , while Instamart is targeting contribution margin breakeven this quarter.
Last year, leading quick-commerce platforms introduced a slew of fees and charges while cutting back on discounts to improve unit economics.
But now, the industry is once again seeing discounts, cashbacks and freebies as companies vie to attract and retain customers amid rising competition.
Ecommerce major Amazon's quick commerce arm Amazon Now is offering cashbacks of Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 200 depending on order value, while Flipkart Minutes is running Re 1 deals on fresh produce. Zepto, which is engaged in a close fight with Instamart for the second spot in the industry, is selling select non-grocery products for Rs 9.
“There are two very different games being played right now,” said a senior quick commerce executive who requested not to be identified. “Some players are optimising for customer acquisition, while others are optimising for sustainable economics.”
