The well-known online retailer Flipkart is getting ready to introduce a quick medication delivery service with a 10-minute turnaround time. According to a report by The Economic Times, this project, which is expected to launch under the "Flipkart Minutes" name, might make the Walmart-owned online retailer the first to offer prescription medication delivery in the rapid commerce space.
Flipkart has begun onboarding neighborhood pharmacies in urban areas to provide medications via its platform, according to the article. To guarantee quick service, the business will rely on its last-mile delivery network. These collaborations are essential for adhering to Indian laws that forbid inventory ownership by foreign-backed e-commerce companies. According to the report, the initiative would only be open to registered chemists who possess the required licenses.
According to a source cited in the story, Flipkart is keen to launch Flipkart Minutes as a comprehensive platform for rapid commerce. With competitors now offering delivery periods ranging from one hour to several days, the entrance into medications targets an underserved market. According to the source, Flipkart can concentrate on logistics while offering a product category that is in great demand by collaborating with licensed pharmacies.
Compared to groceries or meal delivery, quick commerce for medications may offer larger margins. According to Devangshu Dutta, CEO of consulting business Third Eyesight, who was featured in the Economic Times piece, the true differentiator may be discounts, particularly for patients who need costly or long-term therapies.
Growing presence in quick-commerce
The new service is a component of Flipkart's larger plan to increase its market share in the online pharmacy and rapid commerce industries. Players like Tata 1mg, Apollo Pharmacy, and Netmeds (owned by Reliance Retail) presently dominate these markets. In 2021, Flipkart made its first move into the health sector when it bought the majority of SastaSundar Marketplace, an online pharmacy and healthcare platform.
Flipkart is joining a fiercely competitive rapid commerce market that already includes well-known companies like Zepto, BigBasket (Tata Group), Swiggy's Instamart, and Zomato's Blinkit. Amazon is still a major competitor in grocery delivery with Amazon Fresh, even though it hasn't introduced a rapid commerce service yet.
With aspirations to grow to eight to ten major cities, including Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad, and Chennai, Flipkart Minutes currently runs in Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Mumbai. Flipkart has worked with local businesses and marketplace vendors to distribute groceries, providing free delivery and a wider range of options than competitors.
The market for quick commerce is expected to increase quickly.
India's rapid commerce sector is expected to almost quadruple in size, from $3.34 billion in 2023 to $9.94 billion in 2029, according to a recent Grant Thornton Bharat analysis. According to the report, the industry grew by 76% year over year in 2023–2024, highlighting the enormous potential for companies like Flipkart.