As instant gratification becomes the new normal, Indian MSMEs are scrambling to keep pace and many are stepping up fast. According to a survey by intra-city delivery service provider Borzo, 71.9 per cent of MSMEs believe order delivery within 10 to 30 minutes is critical to the needs of rapid e-commerce.
The survey, which drew insights from over 250 MSMEs across metro and Tier II cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad, highlighted how MSMEs are rapidly shaping their delivery models to keep up with increasing demand for faster and seamless service.
Here, MSMEs are also picking their preferred delivery time. 59.6 per cent of respondents said they want deliveries between 15 and 60 minutes, underscoring that fast delivery is now central to customer growth and loyalty. On the other hand, only 20 per cent of respondents suggested 3-4-hour delivery. Only 6.2 per cent said they are open with next-day delivery – long considered the industry standard earlier – indicating the shift in requirements throughout the supply chain.
To manage the deliveries, 37.7 per cent of MSMEs said they are using third-party logistics services and 45.8 per cent said they have next-day courier services, turning to external logistics solutions. This provides opportunities for last-mile logistics service providers to cater to such MSMEs with quick-commerce solutions.
The MSMEs surveyed were enterprises operating across manufacturing, D2C, retail, and trading & services segments. These businesses were broadly classified into various industries such as food, FMCG, apparel and textiles, B2B equipment such as spare parts, NGOs, e-commerce sellers, pharmaceuticals, and more.
“Quick commerce is gaining prominence and significantly impacting MSMEs. Today, MSMEs require a fast-paced, consumer-centric environment where speed directly influences customer service and sales. Quick commerce is no longer a luxury—it’s a lifeline, even for certain B2B MSMEs, as more and more customers demand rapid service. Whether it’s fulfilling urgent B2B or B2C orders, or meeting real-time consumer expectations within cities, MSMEs need faster, more reliable delivery models to stay competitive,” Alina Kisina, CEO, Borzo told FE Online.
Importantly, existing quick commerce platforms such as Zepto, Blinkit, Instamart and others enable MSMEs operating in sectors such as FMCG, packaged food, personal care and beauty, fresh produce, home essentials, kirana, artisanal products, cloud kitchens etc., with instant market access without the need to build their own infrastructure and logistics.
With quick commerce delivery networks, small businesses are able to reduce operational costs around delivery fleet, warehouse setups, and technology investments. It also allows for faster inventory turnover as products or goods move faster off the shelf, along with better level playing field with larger brands.