We all love the magic of ordering a packet of chips and having it ring our doorbell 8 minutes later. But if a new demand in the Indian Parliament gains traction, that magic might legally be declared “cruelty.”
A political storm is brewing in the Rajya Sabha that could fundamentally threaten the business models of Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart 1
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Here is the breakdown of what happened in Parliament and what it means for the future of Quick Commerce.
The News: “Stop the Clock”
On Friday (December 5), AAP MP Raghav Chadha made a fiery submission during the Rajya Sabha’s “Zero Hour.”2 He officially demanded a ban or strict regulation on the 10-minute delivery model 3
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His argument wasn’t about economics; it was about humanity. He termed the entire concept of 10-minute delivery as “cruelty” towards gig workers.4
The “Invisible Wheels” Argument
Chadha’s speech highlighted three brutal realities that delivery partners face, which he urged the government to fix:5
- The “Red Light” Risk: He argued that the pressure to deliver in minutes forces riders to overspeed and jump red lights.6 “A delivery boy standing at a red light keeps thinking that if he is late… his ID will be blocked,” Chadha stated.7
- The “1-Star” Trap: He pointed out that even a 5-minute delay often results in customers shouting or giving a 1-star rating, which can ruin a rider’s entire month’s earnings.8
- The “Robot” Quote: In his most viral line, he told the House: “I want to tell you that these people are not robots. They are also someone’s father, husband, brother, or son”.
Why This Matters Now
For years, people have complained about dangerous driving by delivery riders on Twitter. But this is different. This is a formal demand in the Upper House of Parliament.
If the government decides to act on this, we could see two major policy shifts:
- Minimum Delivery Time Caps: The government could mandate a “minimum 30-minute” window for all deliveries to remove the speed incentive.
- Speed Monitoring: Strict penalties for platforms if their algorithms are found to be incentivizing dangerous riding behavior.
The Verdict
The “Quick Commerce” boom was built on speed. If the “Quick” gets banned, these companies lose their biggest differentiator against Amazon and Flipkart.
While we wait to see if the Centre responds, one thing is clear: The cost of your 10-minute convenience is finally being debated at the highest level.
What do you think? Should 10-minute delivery be banned to save lives, or is it just efficient business