Quick commerce has crossed a strategic inflection point for India’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies.
What began as a channel for testing new products is now influencing boardroom decisions on portfolio mix, premiumisation, pack sizes and product innovation. Annual reports and management commentary from companies including Britannia Industries, ITC, Tata Consumer Products and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) show that consumer goods makers are allocating greater investments, launching channel-exclusive products and redesigning assortments specifically for 10-minute delivery as quick commerce becomes an increasingly meaningful contributor to sales.
Industry executives say the shift reflects changing consumer behaviour, with convenience no longer the only driver.
“Quick commerce is no longer just about convenience; t will increasingly be a combination of convenience and savings,” said Satish Meena, advisor at Datum Intelligence. Consumers, particularly in metros, now compare prices across multiple apps before placing orders, while using quick commerce platforms for both monthly grocery refills and impulse purchases.
E-commerce Business
Britannia offers perhaps the strongest evidence of how the channel is changing the FMCG playbook.
The company’s domestic e-commerce business accounted for 6 per cent of overall sales in FY26, up from 4 per cent a year earlier. However, Managing Director Rakshit Hargave said the number understates its significance because nearly 60-65 per cent of Britannia’s biscuit portfolio comprises ₹5 and ₹10 packs that have little relevance online. Adjusting for that mix, e-commerce contributes over 12 per cent of sales.
Even more striking is the dominance of quick commerce within that business. Around 70 per cent of Britannia’s online sales now originate from quick commerce platforms, a share the company expects to rise to 85 per cent as Amazon and Flipkart scale their rapid delivery offerings.
That evolution is also changing consumer baskets. While conventional e-commerce was dominated by staples, quick commerce is enabling Britannia to sell more indulgent and premium products, with adjacent categories growing nearly three times faster than its core biscuit business.
“We are collaborating with platforms… activating a lot of our brands through their playbook. You will see the assortment towards premium as well as impulse keep growing,” Hargave told analysts, adding that investments in exclusive launches, premium offerings and customised direct-to-consumer products will continue to increase.
ITC is experiencing a similar shift. Digitally enabled sales, along with modern trade, now contribute 34 per cent of the company’s FMCG portfolio. In its annual report, the company said it is strengthening technology-led execution and premiumisation in response to rapid channel shifts in urban markets while accelerating expansion through e-commerce, quick commerce and direct-to-consumer platforms.
Tata Consumer Products, meanwhile, said alternate channels now contribute 41 per cent of its India business, driven by the rapid expansion of quick commerce. The company retained a 38 per cent market share in e-commerce, including quick commerce, while these channels grew 62 per cent during FY26 and contributed 19 per cent of overall revenue.
Hindustan Unilever also underscored the momentum, reporting that quick commerce turnover doubled during FY26, helping drive more than 25 per cent growth in e-commerce, although the channel currently contributes around 3 per cent of its overall business.
Intense Competition
For brands, however, succeeding in quick commerce requires more than simply listing products.
“The platforms are not very democratic,” Meena said. “In every category, three or four brands account for a significant chunk of sales. Visibility depends on both consumer awareness and how much brands invest in placements and advertising.”
He believes the next phase of competition will be even more intense.
“This year is going to be a price war to gain market share,” Meena said, pointing to the aggressive expansion by Amazon, Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart, Flipkart Minutes, BigBasket and JioMart. As more players compete for consumers, FMCG companies are likely to deepen partnerships with platforms, launch more channel-exclusive products and tailor their portfolios for rapid delivery.
Qcomm has come as a livesaver for a consumer startups, especially the way they do settlements in a time-bound manner, unlike traditional offline stores said Archana Jahagirdar, Founder, Managing Partner, Rukam Capital
The message emerging from annual reports is clear: quick commerce is no longer an incremental sales channel. It is becoming a strategic growth engine that is shaping how India’s largest FMCG companies innovate, merchandise and build their brands.