India’s leading online grocery platform BigBasket, backed by the Tata Group, is preparing for a major leap into the fast-growing quick-commerce segment. The company has announced plans to roll out 10-minute hot food delivery services across the country by March 2026, positioning itself in direct competition with existing quick-commerce players such as Swiggy’s Instamart and Swiggy Mini, Zomato-owned Blinkit Bistro, and Zepto Café.
The initiative builds on BigBasket’s initial pilot in Bengaluru, where it has been testing the delivery of freshly prepared meals within 10 minutes from a small set of strategically located dark stores. The pilot includes offerings from Starbucks and Qmin, both part of the Tata portfolio, giving BigBasket an in-house culinary edge from day one.
To make this vision a nationwide reality, BigBasket plans to significantly expand its dark store network—which currently numbers around 700 outlets—to 1,000–1,200 stores by the end of 2025. These dark stores are specialized fulfillment centers optimized for rapid dispatch and located close to high-demand residential and commercial clusters.
Initially, the food delivery vertical will leverage BigBasket’s internal ecosystem by only offering items from Tata brands. There are no current plans to partner with third-party restaurants or food chains, keeping the offering tightly curated and operationally controlled.
By July 2025, the company aims to scale the Bengaluru pilot to 40 stores in the city. After successfully refining logistics, inventory management, and menu offerings, the model will be replicated across multiple metro and Tier 1 cities. The product focus is likely to include hot meals, snacks, and beverages, targeting office workers, college students, and busy households seeking convenience without sacrificing quality.
As BigBasket accelerates its transformation from a grocery leader to a holistic digital retail platform, its 10-minute food delivery rollout marks a significant milestone in its growth journey. With internal funding, an expanding dark store network, and a curated menu of trusted Tata brands, the company is poised to make a major dent in the fast-evolving food delivery ecosystem. If successful, this move could not only diversify its business model but also establish BigBasket as a serious challenger to India’s dominant food-tech players in the coming year.