Latest news with #quickcommerce
Entrepreneur
a day ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL Backs Pico Xpress to Accelerate Quick Commerce Growth
The fresh capital will be used by Pico Xpress to strengthen its technological infrastructure, expand delivery operations, and scale its reach across urban India. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In a significant boost to India's fast-growing quick commerce sector, ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL has invested in Pico Xpress in a Pre-Series A funding round. The fresh capital will be used by Pico Xpress to strengthen its technological infrastructure, expand delivery operations, and scale its reach across urban India. Founded in 2023 by Aniruddha Gangopadhyay and Kamal Syal, Pico Xpress is a Bengaluru-based logistics startup redefining how essential goods reach consumers. The company specialises in last-mile delivery, time-bound quick commerce logistics (within 30, 60, and 120 minutes), and omni-channel fulfillment through dark stores. With a presence in over eight cities, Pico Xpress is building the backbone for India's convenience-driven commerce future. Aniruddha Gangopadhyay, Co-founder of Pico Xpress, said, "ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL's investment fuels our mission to build India's leading quick commerce logistics backbone. This capital infusion allows us to rapidly enhance our technological capabilities and expand our operational footprint." Co-founder Kamal Syal added, "Our goal is to create a seamless and highly efficient quick commerce delivery experience. With ENRISSION's support, we are poised to innovate and set new standards in logistics speed and reliability." Harsh Deodhar, Principal at ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL, stated, "Pico Xpress is at the forefront of India's quick commerce revolution. We are excited to support their vision of delivering essentials with unmatched speed and reliability, and shaping the future of convenience retail." As India's demand for faster deliveries surges, Pico Xpress is uniquely positioned to capitalise on the shift, offering businesses and consumers a dependable and scalable logistics partner for the digital age.
Entrepreneur
11-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
BigBasket to Launch Nationwide 10-Minute Food Delivery by 2026
To support the rapid delivery push, BigBasket will leverage its network of dark stores—small, strategically located warehouses in dense urban areas that allow delivery personnel to fulfill orders swiftly You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India's Tata-backed online grocery firm BigBasket is preparing to roll out a 10-minute food delivery service across the country by the end of fiscal year 2026, stepping directly into the fiercely competitive quick-commerce space valued at $7.1 billion. The company, which pioneered online grocery delivery in India in 2011, will compete with established fast-delivery players such as Swiggy's Snacc, Blinkit's Bistro, and Zepto Cafe—all of which already serve coffee and ready-to-eat snacks within 15 minutes. BigBasket's initiative is part of its broader strategy to expand into new verticals and lock in a share of the market's explosive growth. Co-founder Vipul Parekh told Reuters that the company is eyeing not just users of services like Swiggy and Zomato, but also a broader base of new customers. "We are targeting customers of the existing food delivery firms... while also unlocking a new pool of customers," he said. To support the rapid delivery push, BigBasket will leverage its network of dark stores—small, strategically located warehouses in dense urban areas that allow delivery personnel to fulfill orders swiftly. The company aims to increase its dark store count from about 700 to as many as 1,200 by the end of 2025. The rollout follows a pilot launched last month in Bengaluru. Based on early results, BigBasket plans to expand the service to 40 dark stores by the end of July. Currently, about 5% to 10% of users with access to the service are combining quick-delivery food items with their regular grocery orders. "This is expected to grow further," Parekh noted. Unlike competitors who often partner with a range of restaurants, BigBasket will keep the offering in-house, listing menu items from Starbucks and Qmin—brands under the Tata umbrella. The company has clarified that no external food partners will be brought on board. As the sector heats up, speculation around BigBasket's funding plans has circulated. However, Parekh denied reports of external fundraising efforts and emphasized the company's financial backing from its parent. "One of the advantages we have is, being a part of Tata Group, you have enough internal capital available," he said, reaffirming the company's intent to go public within 18 to 24 months.
Reuters
10-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
BigBasket to launch 10-minute food delivery across India by March 2026, executive says
BENGALURU, June 10 (Reuters) - India's BigBasket plans to roll out 10-minute food delivery services nationwide by the end of fiscal 2026 as competition intensifies in the $7.1 billion quick-commerce space, its executive told Reuters on Tuesday. The Tata-backed grocery giant will take on established players such as Swiggy's ( opens new tab Snacc, Blinkit's ( opens new tab Bistro and Zepto Cafe ( opens new tab, which already deliver coffee and ready-to-eat snacks in less than 15 minutes. BigBasket is targeting customers of the existing food delivery firms such as Zomato and Swiggy while also unlocking a new pool of customers, co-founder Vipul Parekh told Reuters. It plans to use dark stores to fuel the service, Parekh added, extending its foothold in India's booming quick-commerce market, which Blume Venture's Indus Valley report calls the "fastest-growing industry segment ever." Dark stores are small warehouses in densely populated neighbourhood buildings, where delivery partners, typically two-wheeler riders, pick up groceries or food for delivery. BigBasket, which brought online grocery delivery service to India in 2011, aims to increase its dark store count from about 700 currently to 1,000-1,200 by the end of 2025. Following a pilot run that began a month ago in the southern city of Bengaluru, the food delivery service will now be expanded to 40 dark stores by July-end, Parekh said. Currently, about 5%-10% of BigBasket's customers who are offered the service are clubbing quick-food items with their normal online orders, but this is expected to grow further, he added. The menu will comprise items from coffee chain Starbucks and Indian Hotels' ( opens new tab food arm Qmin, both part of the Tata group in India. No external restaurants will be partnered with, the firm said. Meanwhile, Parekh dismissed media reports of BigBasket seeking external investors for fundraising and reiterated the company's plan to go public within the next 18-24 months. "One of the advantages we have is, being a part of Tata Group, you have enough internal capital available."
Arab News
07-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Rabbit's quick commerce model takes off in Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: Early users of quick commerce company Rabbit in Riyadh are already showing promising signs of engagement, with weekly reorder rates comparable to those in the company's more mature Egyptian market, Arab News has been told. This strong early traction points to a positive product-market fit as the Cairo-based startup expands into Saudi Arabia. Rabbit officially launched operations in the Kingdom in early 2024 and is aiming to replicate its hyper-growth strategy by tailoring its model to each city — starting with Riyadh. 'A more indicative, and exciting, insight is that we are seeing early users in Saudi Arabia already having a reorder rate of around one order a week,' said Ahmad Yousry, co-founder and CEO of Rabbit, in an interview with Arab News. 'This is in line with our much more established customer base in Egypt, which is a compelling sign for us,' he added. Rabbit has already delivered more than 40 million items to 1.4 million users in Egypt, a market that has served as a foundational blueprint. However, the company is taking care not to simply copy and paste its strategies. 'Hence, we adopt a tailored approach, focused on building city-by-city and being highly nimble as a company, which has already proven key,' said Yousry. Within six weeks of launching in Riyadh, Rabbit built a network of dark stores covering half of the city. Its goal is to expand across the remainder of the capital and into additional cities over the next 24 months. Dark stores — also known as micro-fulfillment centers or dark warehouses — are retail or distribution hubs designed exclusively to handle and process online shopping orders. Known for its ultra-fast service, Rabbit is maintaining its performance standards in Saudi Arabia. 'Our goal is to deliver over 94 percent of our orders within the promised time frame,' Yousry said, referring to Rabbit's 20-minute delivery commitment. Rabbit aims to deliver 20 million items in Saudi Arabia by 2026, forecasting exponential — not linear — growth. While the company has not disclosed current delivery volumes or active user numbers in the Kingdom, Yousry emphasized the importance of retention over vanity metrics. 'We focus on methodically growing the number of households that depend on Rabbit on a weekly basis,' he said. A more indicative, and exciting, insight is that we are seeing early users in Saudi Arabia already having a reorder rate of around one order a week. Ahmad Yousry, co-founder and CEO of Rabbit In Egypt, Rabbit recorded 2.5 times year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2025, highlighting the scalability of its operational model. Yousry cautioned against direct comparisons, saying: 'The unit economics for both markets are quite different. We try not to base our growth strategy on comparative analytics, but rather on adapting the operational learnings from one market to another and building a sustainable business model around them.' According to Yousry, increasing customer numbers and basket sizes are central to sustainable growth. 'There are two fundamental ways to grow the business in a sustainable and organic manner: acquire more customers and, or, increase the basket value per customer. We aim to focus on both of these elements,' he said. A major element of Rabbit's regional strategy is local sourcing. In Egypt, over 60 percent of products are sourced from local suppliers, and the company is pursuing a similar — or higher — ratio in Saudi Arabia. 'In Saudi Arabia, we are currently on track to have even more local brands on the platform,' Yousry said. 'Our partner-first focus, and our commitment to growing local brands and empowering local entrepreneurs, has significantly paid off in Egypt and we expect to see the same in Saudi Arabia.' Beyond fulfillment, Rabbit is prioritizing customer experience, emphasizing both convenience and reliability. 'While speed is incredibly important, to be successful in the e-grocery market, you must also focus on the other key elements of the customer experience: convenience and reliability,' said Yousry. 'Our customers know they can count on us to deliver speed, convenience, and consistency.' Technology, particularly artificial intelligence, plays a critical role in Rabbit's operations. The company is applying AI to enhance inventory management, logistics, and user engagement. 'AI is a fundamental enabler of our operations and future growth in Saudi Arabia,' Yousry said. • Within six weeks of launching in Riyadh, Rabbit built a network of dark stores covering half of the city. Its goal is to expand across the remainder of the capital and into additional cities over the next 24 months. • Rabbit aims to deliver 20 million items in Saudi Arabia by 2026, forecasting exponential — not linear — growth. • Rabbit has already delivered more than 40 million items to 1.4 million users in Egypt, a market that has served as a foundational blueprint. 'We are leveraging AI for sophisticated inventory management to predict demand accurately and minimize stockouts, ensuring product availability for our customers.' Rabbit also uses machine learning to personalize the shopping experience within the app. 'We are utilizing proprietary machine-learning solutions to provide tailored product recommendations and a more engaging shopping experience for our users in the Kingdom,' Yousry added. The decision to launch regionally with Saudi Arabia was driven by the size and structure of its grocery sector. 'The food and grocery market is valued at $60 billion, yet the current online grocery transactions in Saudi Arabia are at a lower rate, sitting at 1.3 percent, than the likes of the UAE and the US,' said Yousry. 'Riyadh is transforming at lightning speed, providing us with the opportunity to meet the shift in customer behavior and demands.' Understanding and adapting to local consumer behavior has been central to Rabbit's entry into the market. 'Consumers in Saudi Arabia prioritize convenience, quality, and new technologies for a seamless shopping experience,' said Yousry. He added that, unlike Egypt — where purchases tend to be daily and need-based — Saudi shopping habits are more occasion-driven. 'In Egypt, the pattern leans more toward daily or impulse-driven purchases, often tied to single packs for immediate needs or smaller households.' Rabbit's mission is closely aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, particularly in areas such as digital infrastructure development and support for small and medium enterprises. 'We are helping to accelerate the growth of the digital economy in a growing sector that is yet to reach its digitization potential,' said Yousry, adding: 'We are building and leveraging state-of-the-art technology across our entire supply chain, aligning directly with the Kingdom's vision for a diversified and digitally empowered future in two key sectors: logistics and retail.' Supporting local entrepreneurs remains a central pillar of Rabbit's regional operations. 'Our commitment to local sourcing and partnerships with SMEs provides a platform for these businesses to reach a wider customer base and scale their operations,' he said. 'We hire local and build locally. We pride ourselves on being a hyperlocal company. We are not bringing Rabbit to Saudi Arabia; we are instead building Rabbit Saudi Arabia by Saudi hands.' Looking ahead, Rabbit sees Saudi Arabia not only as a key growth market but also as a launchpad for broader expansion. 'We are very excited for the future of Rabbit in the GCC region,' said Yousry. 'We are already profitable in our first market, Egypt, and we look forward to building on this as we expand,' he stated. 'We see Saudi Arabia as a champion market for the reasons already mentioned. We are focused on growing sustainably and expanding our footprint in the Kingdom, ultimately reaching profitability,' the CEO added.
Bloomberg
06-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Swiggy Shares Set for Best Week of 2025 on Bullish Analyst Calls
Sign up for the India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi – an insider's guide to the emerging economic powerhouse, and the billionaires and businesses behind its rise, delivered weekly. Swiggy Ltd. is headed for its biggest weekly gain of the year, buoyed by a brighter outlook for the Indian company's main food delivery business and moves to curb quick commerce losses.
