Daybreak How Blinkit came to control more than half of India’s most cutthroat market
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Sep 24, 2025 Blinkit's rapid rise to control over half of India's quick commerce market is a captivating tale of speed and strategy. The podcast explores Zomato's crucial role in transforming Grow First into Blinkit amid fierce competition. Insightful discussions highlight Blinkit's dark store strategy, focusing on inventory ownership to enhance operational efficiency. As it expands aggressively while facing mounting costs, questions arise about the sustainability of its model. Will this ambitious gamble prove to be a solid investment or a fragile empire?
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From Near-Death To Acquisition
- Grow First was on its deathbed until Zomato invested $120 million in June 2021, rescuing the company.
- A year later Zomato bought Blinkit for nearly $600 million, repositioning it as a strategic bet.
Dark Stores Are The Invisible Engine
- Dark stores plus the right SKU mix are the engine of quick commerce success.
- Blinkit scaled by optimizing store formats and assigning users to 5km polygons for hyperlocal delivery.
Prune Before You Expand
- Close underperforming warehouses to improve margins before scaling expansion aggressively.
- Use profitability signals, like Blinkit's March 2024 profit, to justify a land-grab strategy.