Preparing for a pre-Diwali dinner party, Jagruti Kaul, a resident of Gurugram, wanted a stylish hairstyle without spending hours in front of the mirror. A simple donut bun from Blinkit solved her dilemma within minutes.
For Kaul and millions of other urban Indians, whether it’s self-grooming or decorating homes, preparing elaborate feasts, and sourcing gifts—tasks that once required weeks of planning are now a stress-free, on-demand experience, thanks to various platforms.
One doesn’t need to juggle multiple errands, battle traffic or compromise on time, as everything can be accessed in under 15 minutes.
Outsourcing, an experience
Quick commerce platforms like Amazon, Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart have curated several festival-specific categories—ready-to-gift hampers, traditional sweets, décor like torans and fairy lights, and complete pooja kits to meet the frenzied demand.
“Two months ahead of festivals, sellers stock items guided by store-level heatmaps, user intent signals and market insights. Our warehouses pack orders in 75 seconds on average, while AI-driven route planning ensures fast and seamless deliveries,” says Devendra Meel, chief business officer, Zepto.
E-commerce players are doubling down on speed. Amazon Now, the company’s 10-minute delivery service, has expanded to select areas in Mumbai, complementing Bengaluru and Delhi. “The response has exceeded expectations. We are enabling ultra-fast delivery across a vast selection this festive season,” says Samir Kumar, VP & country manager, Amazon India.
Similarly, Swiggy Giftables can send curated gifts like cakes, flowers, electronics, perfumes, and toys. It has an AI-powered gifting chatbot to recommend options based on occasion, recipient personality, and preferences. The service, available through the Swiggy app, is live in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and other metros.
“With Giftables on Swiggy, users get curated, high-quality options delivered in under an hour. No more juggling platforms or settling for uninspired gifts,” says Phani Kishan, co-founder and chief growth officer, Swiggy.
Bigbasket, a TATA Enterprise, witnessed strong sales during Durga Puja for 10-minute delivery and expects good sales for eco-friendly diyas, limited edition festive hampers and flavourful sweets for Diwali as well. Seshu Kumar Tirumala, chief buying and merchandising officer, Bigbasket, says, “There’s an unprecedented surge in q-comm demand across all regions. We expect our festive season sales to be 2-2.5 times higher than last year, driven not just by groceries but also categories such as electronics, crockery, and festive hampers. Our 10-minute delivery promise is enabling customers to meet last-minute gifting and celebration needs instantly. Unique offers introduced this year include eco-friendly diyas, newly curated gift boxes, and premium products like gold and silver coins.”
Even traditional, ritual-focused elements have gone digital. Pujashree, a pioneering faithtech brand, offers shastra-compliant puja kits across e-commerce platforms. “The festive collection has already seen a 500% surge in orders this season,” says Rajiv Tiwari, CEO & co-founder, Pujashree Products.
Companies like IGP (India Gifts Portal), FNP (Ferns N Petals), The Gift Studio, and Q-comm platforms provide artisanal mithai, personalised hampers, and luxe wellness kits delivered within hours. For retailers of traditional items, Q-comm opens new channels.
Avi Kumar, CMO, FNP, says, “This festive quarter traditionally contributes around 30% of our annual revenue, and we’re poised to surpass that by delivering across India and to 100+ countries worldwide. In addition to our own robust delivery network, we have embraced omni-channel offerings to cater to all customer needs, including Q-comm platforms like Zepto and Blinkit.”
Aditya Agrawal, CEO of kitchenware brand P-TAL, explains, “We’re already working with Blinkit and Instamart to deliver diyas, pooja thalis, dry fruit boxes, copper bottles, and tumblers within minutes. This year, we’ve already seen a 75% increase in festive enquiries compared to last Diwali.”
Home-grown handbag brand Miraggio recently introduced express daily deliveries for select pincodes in Delhi-NCR, for the festive season. Calling this service a game changer for his business, Mohit Jain, founder & CEO of Miraggio, says, “By partnering with Q-comm, our products can reach customers within 15 minutes. Demand is surging this festive season.”
Food Square, a luxury gourmet destination, has partnered with Instamart for delivery within minutes in Mumbai. “Such partnerships elevate convenience for the customer,” says Hari Kumar G, chief business officer, Instamart.
Festive-ready homes
Platforms like Urban Company and Snabbit offer Diwali deep-cleaning packages, kitchen scrubs, sofa shampooing, and balcony makeovers for families to focus on celebration rather than prep. Broomees, an on-demand household service in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Pune and Bengaluru, offers cooks, nannies, cleaners and all-rounders while its Broomit service offers brooming plus mopping, dusting, dish washing, kitchen help, within minutes.
Aayush Agarwal, founder of Snabbit, a quick-service app offering on-demand home services within minutes, says, “We are running Diwali campaigns this year with specific packages for festive cleaning for urban households and additional incentives for our experts during the festive period to ensure we are able to service customers in the best possible way when they need us the most. The demand has been strong with a double digit week-on-week growth.”
For gourmet food at your doorstep, on-demand catering services like Garnishe, Homefoodi offer private chefs to prepare traditional festive meals. Garnishe, since 2018, has served over 50,000 people with 90% repeat customer ratio.
Restaurants also see more orders for home, thus offering DIY stations, chef-led cooking experiences and themed meal boxes. “We have seen a dramatic evolution in home dining celebrations. Our set menus can be delivered within minutes,” says Sarfaraz Ahmed, corporate chef, Passion F&B India, which owns Zaatar W Zeit, Avatara, Trèsind, Carnival by Trèsind, Tresind Studio, and Maison De Curry.
Rebel Foods, which operates Faasos, Behrouz Biryani and Oven Story, is using predictive AI to forecast festive demand, optimise kitchen and delivery operations, and ensure minimal delivery time, says Nishant Kedia, CMO, Rebel Foods.