Instamart expands its reach for Jio phone deliveries, covering 95 urban areas nationwide
In a significant move, Swiggy's quick commerce platform, Instamart, has partnered with Reliance Jio to offer 10-minute delivery of JioBharat V4 and JioPhone Prima 2 models across 95 Indian cities. This partnership marks a new chapter in the quick commerce sector, as mobile phones join the list of products available for rapid delivery.
The JioPhone Prima 2, retailing at Rs 2,799, offers enhanced features such as YouTube, Facebook, Google Voice Assistant, and JioTV. On the other hand, the JioBharat V4, priced at Rs 799, is a 4G feature phone equipped with UPI payments via JioPay, over 455 live TV channels, and a 1000 mAh battery.
Analysts predict that with increasing internet penetration and rising average incomes in India, the demand for mobile phones is likely to increase. This partnership opportunity could help improve the average order values and margins for quick commerce platforms.
Beyond Swiggy Instamart and Reliance Jio, several quick commerce platforms are expanding their 10-minute delivery services for mobile phones and other essentials. One such player is Zepto, a leading Q-commerce player offering 10-minute delivery, primarily for groceries but rapidly expanding its product range. Zepto's aggressive expansion into tier-II and tier-III cities has enabled it to scale quickly.
Another notable player is Blinkit, owned by Zomato, which has seen strong growth in quick commerce delivery, including urban metro areas and tier-1 cities. Blinkit recorded over 25% growth in gross order value recently, showing strong orders and repeat customers.
Global players like Getir (Turkey) and Gopuff (United States) are examples of quick commerce platforms delivering daily essentials in under 10-30 minutes. While no specific evidence highlights them delivering mobile phones, their model shows how rapid delivery platforms diversify product offerings.
Currently, quick commerce in India largely emphasises groceries, daily essentials, medicines, and FMCG products. However, the infrastructure—hyperlocal fulfillment centres, real-time inventory, and fast logistics—can enable expansion into other categories, including mobile phones.
The quick commerce model is reshaping consumer behaviour, especially in tier-II and tier-III cities, where instant gratification is driving more people to adopt fast delivery platforms. FMCG companies like Coca-Cola have backed quick commerce for frequent consumer needs, indicating how brands see value in ultra-fast delivery.
While specific platforms exclusively marketing 10-minute delivery of mobile phones beyond Swiggy Instamart and Reliance Jio are not explicitly documented, it is reasonable to infer that leading Q-commerce players like Zepto and Blinkit are expanding their inventory breadth rapidly, potentially including consumer electronics such as mobile phones and accessories in select markets.
In summary, the quick commerce sector is evolving from essentials-only delivery to potentially wider product categories like mobile phones, driven by the success of platforms beyond Swiggy Instamart and Reliance Jio, with Zepto and Blinkit as frontrunners in India. This shift is set to revolutionise the way consumers access and purchase mobile phones, offering a convenient and speedy alternative to traditional methods.
- The partnership between Swiggy's Instamart and Reliance Jio could pave the way for Defi (decentralized finance) integrations in the quick commerce sector, as increased average order values and margins might enable fast-delivery platforms to offer financial services alongside smartphones.
- With a focus on rapid expansion, Zepto, a Q-commerce leader primarily known for delivering groceries, may soon venture into the market of gadgets such as smartphones, emulating the diversification strategies of global players like Getir and Gopuff.
- As the quick commerce sector experiences growth across India, finance (financial services) and Defi platforms could potentially establish partnerships with these fast-delivery platforms to offer customers financing options for purchasing smartphones and other technology products, further revolutionizing the consumer experience.
