10-minute delivery boom fuels hyperlocal warehousing surge in urban and tier-2 cities

Time of India

a day ago

HighlightsThe demand for hyperlocal warehouses in India is outpacing supply, driven by quick-commerce platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket Now aiming to deliver products within 10-15 minutes. As quick-commerce companies expand, they are repurposing underutilized spaces like old neighborhood shops and defunct service apartments into efficient micro-fulfillment centers, which are essential for meeting the growing consumer demand for rapid delivery. Industry experts predict that India will require over 12 to 15 million square feet of small-format warehousing space in the next three years to support the projected growth of the quick-commerce sector, which is expected to reach $5.5 billion by 2025.
The booming quick-commerce (Q-commerce) segment in India is fueling a rapid rise in demand for small, hyperlocal warehouses outstripping the supply. As platforms like
Blinkit
,
Zepto
,
Swiggy Instamart
, and
BigBasket
Now race to fulfill deliveries within 10-15 minutes, last-mile fulfillment centers—tucked into basements, small plots, and underutilized urban properties—are becoming critical infrastructure across metro cities and Tier-2 locations.
According to experts, the demand is three times that of the new wave of hyperlocal warehouses—often no larger than 2,000 to 8,000 sq ft— located within dense residential neighborhoods. Additionally, underutilized spaces – such as old neighbourhood shops, defunct service apartments, and ground-floor office spaces – are being converted into highly efficient and profitable micro-fulfilment hubs. This
'The strategic repurposing allows the establishment of a dense network of hyper-local fulfilment centres, bringing inventory closer to the customer than ever before. This model not only optimizes delivery times to within minutes but also significantly reduces last-mile logistics costs, making
quick commerce
economically viable and scalable in densely populated urban environments,' said Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE
The business model behind quick delivery is based on rapid inventory turnover and proximity to the customer base. As a result, companies are leasing multiple, small-format spaces instead of large centralized hubs. Each warehouse typically serves a radius of 2-3 km, enabling delivery within 10-12 minutes.These micro-fulfillment centers stock fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), fresh produce, snacks, and beverages that can be delivered within minutes of order placement. Additionally lack of financial visibility for landlord and large corporates are making it difficult to attract a complaint property.
According to J P Morgan, Zomato-owned Blinkit and Swiggy
Instamart
are accelerating the pace of dark store network expansion, while the IPO-bound Zepto is slowing down. It had earlier said in 2024 that the total count of dark stores will reach 700 March 2025.
A recent research note from a global brokerage firm said that both Blinkit and Instamart added over 150 dark stores during the January-February period, while Zepto experienced a slowdown in its dark store additions. The brokerage estimates that Blinkit currently operates the largest dark store network in the country, with approximately 1,229 stores, surpassing Zepto, which has 1,147 dark stores. Additionally, these companies have reportedly reduced the average delivery time to under 10 minutes in over 70% of their active zones.
'Q-commerce companies are not just tenants anymore; they are now driving demand and influencing micro-markets,' says Vijay Ganesh, Managing Director, Industrial & Logistics Services,
Colliers India
. 'We are witnessing increased lease activity in areas like Andheri (Mumbai), Koramangala (Bengaluru), and Kukatpally (Hyderabad), where even ground-floor retail and idle parking spaces are being converted into dark stores.'
While metros remain the hotbeds of Q-commerce activity, the next wave of growth is firmly taking root in Tier-2 cities such as Jaipur, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Lucknow, and Surat. Improved digital penetration, rising disposable income, and consumer demand for convenience are driving expansion beyond the traditional top six cities.
Coimbatore and Indore are seeing a spike in short-term leases for 1,500–3,000 sq ft units. These aren't just warehousing deals—they are hybrid agreements with retail landlords looking for steady rentals in high-footfall areas.
Local developers and real estate investors in these cities are increasingly converting underutilized properties into rentable dark store formats. In Jaipur, for example, a former banquet hall near Mansarovar was recently repurposed into a 24/7 fulfillment hub for a grocery delivery firm, generating a 20% higher rental yield than its previous use.
As India's first integrated supply chain infrastructure platform, IndoSpace has set up its first such format–INLOGIS Chembur—a 150,000 sq. ft in-city warehousing hub in Mumbai. IndoSpace is scaling this model across major metros to unlock proximity, reduce delivery times, support hyperlocal fulfilment, and power the future of last-mile logistics. ' 'Designed for high-efficiency delivery with features like cargo elevators, EV charging, and solar panels, it caters to the surging quick commerce market projected to triple by 2027. With unit sizes from 5,000 to 35,000 sq. ft, INLOGIS enables rapid service to over half of Mumbai', said a source.
The rise of hyperlocal warehousing is also subtly impacting rental dynamics in urban pockets. Rents for ground-floor spaces in residential-commercial mixed-use zones have jumped by 10-18% in key micromarkets since 2023, according to Knight Frank.
'We believe the future of urban logistics lies in Grade-A in-city warehousing and micro fulfillment centers,' said Vamsi from Sumadhura. 'With the Q-commerce boom driving demand for over over 10 dark stores per cluster in some metros, there's a clear need for optimized, compliant, and scalable urban logistics hubs. We are seeing strong traction for shared 3PL platforms, and our goal is to build flexible, multi-tenant spaces that enable this shift. By embedding hygiene, safety, and automation-readiness from day one, we aim to offer long-term value to operators. Our investment case shows these hubs can deliver returns on par with top-tier commercial assets,' Vamshi Karangula Vice President Sumadhura Group
According to experts, demand for hyperlocal warehouses is poised to grow in tandem with the Q-commerce sector, which is projected to reach $5.5 billion by 2025, according to RedSeer Consulting. Industry estimates suggest that India may require over 12–15 million sq ft of small-format warehousing space in the next three years to meet delivery demand from urban and Tier-2 consumers.
For developers, especially in land-constrained metros, this opens up a new monetization avenue. Even older commercial buildings, retail stores, and standalone houses can be repositioned as revenue-generating micro-hubs.
'Dark stores thrive on speed and efficiency, typically holding just 2–3 days of inventory to meet rapid order turnover. Their ability to pay higher rentals is driven by location—delivery time and household reach matter more than size. With limited organized supply, many are set up in repurposed residential, retail, or workshop spaces across cities,' said
Chandranath Dey
, India Head - Operation & Business Development, Logistics & Industrial, JLL.
As the 10-minute delivery race heats up, India's real estate sector is not just enabling the change—it's being transformed by it. Quick-commerce platforms initially focused on groceries, fresh produce, and essentials are now diversifying their offerings to include electronics and personal care items, among other products."