Quick commerce platform Zepto has made its foray into the online pharmacy segment with the launch of Zepto Pharmacy, a service promising to deliver essential medicines within 10 minutes. The service is now live in select areas of Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Hyderabad, marking the startup’s diversification beyond its core instant grocery delivery model.
The move comes immediately after rival Blinkit introduced a prescription medicine delivery service in select parts of the country, which was rolled out last week. Blinkit also introduced a rapid medical assistance initiative in January, offering a 10-minute ambulance service in select parts of Gurugram through a fleet of Basic Life Support ambulances bookable via its app. While Blinkit’s offering focused on emergency response, Zepto’s entry into prescription and over-the-counter medicine delivery puts it in direct competition with established e-pharmacy platforms such as Tata 1mg, PharmEasy, and Apollo 24/7, as well as quick commerce players experimenting in the space.
Focus on gradual expansion
Aadit Palicha, co-founder and chief executive officer of Zepto, said the launch followed a year-long effort to refine operations in a category with complex logistical and regulatory demands. “Over the past 12 months, the team has worked tirelessly to perfect the customer experience, supply chain, and compliance at a small scale,” he announced the launch via LinkedIn post.
Palicha emphasised that the company will prioritise operational excellence over aggressive growth. “Our objective is to keep operational standards extremely high and not scale too rapidly given the complexity of this category,” he noted. The e-pharmacy sector requires adherence to strict regulations, prescription verification, and temperature-controlled logistics to ensure medicine safety.
Strengthening the brand portfolio
Founded in 2021, Zepto delivers over 25,000 products within 10 minutes through a network of dark stores in high-density urban areas. The company recently rebranded its parent entity from Kiranakart Technologies Pvt Ltd to Zepto Pvt Ltd, a move seen as part of its brand consolidation ahead of a potential public listing. “If we execute well, we believe this service can seriously improve the lives of millions of customers across the country and help make important medicines easier to access when we need them the most,” Palicha said.
