Quick commerce platforms may have begun scrubbing “10-minute delivery” from their branding and marketing, but for delivery workers on the ground, little has changed in how work is organised or the pressures they face. Conversations with delivery partners across Bengaluru and Delhi suggest that the removal of the label has not translated into any easing of delivery targets, incentive structures, or algorithm-driven performance metrics.
“The app looks the same, works the same. I still get penalised if I reject orders, still need to complete 35 deliveries, and be available for at least two peak-hour slots to unlock weekly incentives,” a delivery partner operating in JP Nagar, Bengaluru, told Fe. “Work is the same today as any other day,” another worker in Jayanagar said.
Unmet Worker Expectations
In Delhi’s Taimurnagar and New Friends Colony, workers told FE they had initially hoped the government’s intervention would trigger changes to internal systems. “We thought if they are removing the branding, maybe they will also change how the system works,” said a delivery partner in New Friends Colony. So far, that expectation has not been met.
The shift follows Tuesday’s meeting between Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and executives from quick commerce and delivery platforms, where companies agreed to drop the 10-minute promise from customer-facing interfaces. Eternal-owned Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto have updated app store descriptions and in-app messaging. However, worker unions and analysts argue that the operational architecture that incentivises speed remains intact.
The branding change has also raised questions around existing merchandise. Jackets, t-shirts and bags bearing “10-minute” slogans are still widely in use. These items typically cost workers Rs 600–1,800 for jackets and Rs 200–500 for t-shirts, paid upfront or deducted from early earnings. An industry executive said there is no mandate for immediate replacement and that workers will not be required to buy new merchandise, though future prints will drop the tag.
Shaik Salauddin, founder president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, said the move risks remaining cosmetic unless deeper issues are addressed. “If there is no change to algorithmic bias, auto-assignment of orders, arbitrary ID blocking, and incentive designs that push higher workloads, then the intent falls flat,” he said, adding that platforms should bear any cost of transitioning merchandise.
Algorithmic Pressure Persists
Analysts echoed that view, describing the branding shift as largely optics-driven. Karan Taurani of Elara Capital said competition in quick commerce continues to be defined by speed and convenience, irrespective of the label. “The ‘10-minute’ claim was marketing hyperbole rather than a contractual commitment. Consumer behaviour and operational intensity are unlikely to change,” he said.
Satish Meena, founder of Datum Intelligence, said internal algorithms still reward faster delivery, keeping pressure on workers. “As long as estimated delivery times continue to show sub-10-minute windows, expectations remain,” he said.
Worker advocates said that the core issue goes beyond branding. Over 90% of gig delivery workers lack social security and health or accident insurance, earnings fluctuate due to opaque algorithms, and workers bear the full cost of fuel, vehicle maintenance and downtime. Arbitrary de-activations add to income uncertainty. Analysts said that addressing these risks, rather than marketing claims, is essential for any lasting change in working conditions.
According to government officials, the intent was not to micromanage operations but to flag concerns where excesses appear.