‘Unfair Pricing’: Distributors’ Body Moves CCI Against Blinkit, Zepto & Swiggy Instamart

The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has reportedly filed a petition with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against quick commerce players like Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart alleging unfair pricing and monopolising the market.

A BS report said that the plea was submitted by the president of AICPDF Dhairyashil Patil.

“Quick commerce and hyperlocal delivery have become very popular over the last few years. The word quick commerce defines fast and efficient delivery services. It usually delivers products within a few minutes,” the petition said.

Furthermore, the association accused these quick commerce players of affecting the competition in the market by giving deep discounts and indulging in exclusive supply/distribution agreements.

These practices negatively impact more than 10 Mn offline mom-and-pop stores across the country, the petition added.

Last year, the authority wrote to union commerce minister Piyush Goyal, requesting to closely scan the rapid growth of these quick commerce giants. It further requested the minister to regulate the quick commerce space to protect small traders.

Later, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) also referred the complaint filed by AICPDF to the CCI regarding the matter.

The constant push from the authority against quick commerce players comes at a time when Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto are aggressively expanding and eliminating customers for traditional retail stores.

From quick food delivery services to grocery, home essentials and even 10-minute ambulance services, the three major companies are racing neck to neck to disrupt quick commerce space in the country.

In this influence, ecommerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart are also putting their efforts to expand offerings in this segment.

However, the questions continue to rise on the 10-minute delivery trend. Last month, a report claimed that the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) is considering moving CCI against Zomato and Swiggy, seeking intervention regarding the launch of 10-minute food delivery standalone apps, Bistro and Snacc.

Additionally, a brokerage report by ICICI Securities said that while these companies still give discounts as a way to attract customers, the item level discounting scheme has seen losing its charm  between November 2024 to January 2025. 

It is pertinent to note that Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto cumulatively reported over $1 Bn in revenue in FY24.