Blinkit's food licence suspended in Pune's Balewadi for regulatory violations: Report
Blinkit
's
dark store
in Pune's Balewadi area. According to a report by Economic Times, the FDA conducted an investigation on June 5 and found that the dark store was operating without the required approvals from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Operated by M/s Energy Darkstore Services near Mitcon College, the facility was found storing and selling food items without obtaining the mandatory licence under Section 31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The licence will remain suspended until proper authorisation is secured.
As per the report, officials also cited multiple
food safety violations
at the site. The inspection report flagged issues such as food placed directly on the floor, lack of pest control certification, workers without protective gear, dusty storage racks, and a cold storage unit missing a calibration certificate.
This action is part of a broader crackdown by authorities on quick commerce 'dark stores' amid rising concerns about food hygiene and safety.
License of Zepto's Dharavi facility suspended
Earlier this month, Maharashtra's FDA cancelled the food business licence of Zepto's Dharavi facility after an inspection revealed multiple hygiene and food safety norms violations. The inspection uncovered fungal growth on some food items, storage near stagnant water, unclean and wet floors, and cold storage units that failed to maintain the necessary temperature.
Officials also found expired food products that were not separated from fresh stock.
'The inspection at the Dharavi location revealed poor hygiene and unsafe food storage conditions,' said FDA officials.
Following these findings, Assistant Commissioner of Food, Anupamaa Balasaheb Patil, ordered the cancellation of the facility's licence under Section 32(3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
14 hours ago
- Mint
Ghost prescriptions, dark stores: Why quick delivery of medicine has become a headache
Quick-commerce medicine delivery is heating up, with Zepto recently joining Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart in the race. But as the space gets crowded, concerns are mounting over prescription-only medicines without proper checks. Industry body All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has called for regulatory scrutiny and tighter oversight. 'Medicines are not groceries that should be delivered within 10 minutes. These are highly regulated and need utmost care while handling — something that can't always be assured in a dark-store model," said Rajiv Singhal, General Secretary, AIOCD. On 13 August, the association wrote to the home affairs ministry stating that easy access through online quick-commerce delivery has led to a sharp rise in misuse, including of Schedule H drugs such as Pregabalin, used for neuropathic pain, epilepsy, and anxiety. It alleged that medicines are being issued online without genuine prescription verification, raising concerns about 'ghost prescriptions" — fake or fabricated prescriptions used to procure restricted drugs. The same day, Zepto announced its entry into pharma, offering medicine delivery within 10 minutes across metropolitan cities, according to its press release. Prior to this, Swiggy had entered the segment in August 2024, launching its 'Instamart' grocery service—which included medicines in select markets—through a partnership with PharmEasy that operated as a shop-in-shop inside dark stores in Bengaluru. Blinkit last month introduced 10-minute delivery across its dark-store network and later piloted prescription-medicine delivery (including antibiotics, eye drops, antihistamines, and skin treatments) in Bengaluru. Blinkit has entered deeper into healthcare by piloting a 10-minute ambulance service in Gurugram. Queries sent to all three companies on 13 August did not elicit a response until press time. 'If platforms commit to only e-prescriptions issued and signed by registered doctors, run an automatic check against the National Medical Register, and keep a pharmacist in the loop before dispatch, leakage can be driven close to zero—even with fast delivery," said Nilaya Varma, co-founder at Primus Partners, a management consultancy firm in Delhi. Prescription verification still murky Prescription verification for Schedule H/H1/X drugs on quick-commerce is a legal mandate, not a best-efforts standard, said Aditya Patni, Partner at Khaitan & Co. Schedule H includes prescription-only drugs like antibiotics and anti-epileptics, dispensed by pharmacists without mandatory record-keeping. Schedule H1 adds stricter control—requiring prescriptions and three years of records for abuse-prone drugs. Schedule X is the most stringent, mandating duplicate prescriptions ((two copies of the doctor's prescription), special licences, and secure storage for narcotics and psychotropics. India still lacks a clear e-pharmacy rulebook; the draft regulations were never finalised. Platforms operate under older statutes like the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Pharmacy Act, 1948, which never envisaged online prescription verification or instant delivery. Draft e-pharmacy rules, 2018—requiring licensed premises, pharmacist verification, and prescription uploads—remain unnotified. "This has left a regulatory vacuum, with enforcement fragmented among state drug inspectors," said Rishabh Gandhi, founder, Rishabh Gandhi and Advocate. Many platforms leverage the 'marketplace' model — which merely connects registered pharmacies to customers — to distance themselves from liability, even while facilitating the sale of prescription-only medicines, said Patni. 'Since they act as 'intermediaries' or 'aggregators' under the Information Technology Act, 2000, they do not require a licence for sale of drugs as the actual dispensation happens through physical pharmacies which are already registered," he said, adding that quick-commerce models — which rely on dark stores — may blur this line, leading to unlicensed storage and distribution. Moreover, 'JPEG prescriptions'—photos of paper scripts—are easy to forge, reuse, or edit, said Varma. 'The last mile is often not a licensed premise with a pharmacist on record, even though the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules mandate pharmacist supervision for retail supply. In addition, catalogue mis-tags (H/H1/X drugs flagged as regular SKUs) can let restricted medicines slip past controls," he added. Regulatory concerns circle established players too. Patni notes that in February 2023, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) issued show-cause notices to 20 e-pharmacies—including Tata 1mg, Amazon, Flipkart, and Netmeds—for allegedly selling drugs without valid licenses or prescriptions. These entities claimed intermediary status. The Delhi high court had imposed an interim ban on unlicensed e-pharmacy operations in December 2018, and in March 2024 specifically directed the health ministry to finalise a policy on online sale of drugs. Licensed pharmacies can still sell online, but with the March 2024 deadline missed, the e-pharmacy legal framework remains unclear and enforcement patchy. Pregabalin predicament Meanwhile, Pregabalin has been a flashpoint recently—its rising misuse triggered the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) to recommend moving it from Schedule H to H1, highlighting gaps in verification and enforcement. Pregabalin can only be sold on a doctor's prescription with record-keeping and labelling compliance. Some states such as Punjab have even tightened controls on high-dose formulations and bulk sales to curb misuse and diversion. In April 2025, the DTAB recommended reclassifying pregabalin and its formulations under Schedule H1, but the change awaits a gazette notification to take legal effect. While regulators and chemist bodies flag the broader system risk, all Schedule H, H1, and X drugs—including antibiotics, opioids, and psychotropics—can be misused if prescription verification is weak, enabling diversion and unsafe consumption. "Traditional pharmacies sometimes dispense medications without strict prescription checks, especially if they know the patient personally. A physical pharmacy isn't going anywhere, so such practices are easier to trace, but with e-pharmacies, it's much harder to monitor or track, which is why the scrutiny often feels uneven," said Dr. Chitra Raju, a general practitioner in Delhi. That said, quick commerce and e-pharmacy can improve healthcare for chronic patients and expand access, particularly for the elderly and in high-traffic urban areas, said Varma of Primus Partners. 'E-pharmacies already serve 20,000+ pincodes, and quick-commerce pharmacy networks have penetration access to 100+ cities. For an ageing India—10.5% of the population is 60+, projected to reach 20.8% by 2050—reliable refills and doorstep delivery can reduce drop-offs for long-term therapies," he added. India's e-pharmacy market has around 50 players and was valued at $0.5 billion in 2019 (~2–3% of total pharmacy sales), projected to grow to $4.5 billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 44%. Major players like PharmEasy, Tata 1mg, Netmeds, and Medlife combine medicine delivery with services such as doctor consultations and lab tests, according to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) under the commerce ministry.
Mint
17 hours ago
- Mint
Zepto surprises customer with empty Amul butter box on Janmashtami: Social media hails 'cool marketing'
Zepto came up with a clever marketing strategy on Janmashtami. The quick-commerce food delivery platform found an interesting way to sell butter on Krishn Janmashtami by sending empty butter boxes with a heartfelt note. A Reddit user pointed to this clever marketing strategy on Krishna Janmashtami. The annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna with great fervour and enthusiasm was observed on August 16 this year. According to religious beliefs, Krishna is famously and playfully referred to as "Maakhan Chor" or butter stealer. Through a jaunty and symbolic reference to the deity on the auspicious occasion of birth anniversary of the eighth avatar of Vishnu, Zepto incorporated this marketing move to advertise Amul's butter. Zepto sent empty butter boxes with a humorous note referencing Krishna on Janmashtami. The heartfelt note, "Oops, Maakhan chor got here before you! Amul butter delivered in 10 minutes gone in seconds" accompanying the butter boxes surprised customers. The other side of the card wishes 'Happy Janmashtami.' The caption to the viral post states, 'Zepto is sending Free empty Amul butter boxes on Janmashtmi. How many of you agree that Blinkit does better marketing? Or instamart?' This Reddit post amassed over 2.2 thousand reactions within 21 hours. A string of reactions poured on social media after this unique approach caught social media attention. A user inquired, 'What did they do with the actual contents?' A second user wrote, 'Zepto cafe wale samaan m use kr liya.' Another user remarked, 'The box doesn't have oily patches either true, this is a creative one!' A fourth comment read, 'It's pretty smart, tbh. Don't think we need to unnecessarily critique everything.' A fifth user wrote, 'It's such cool marketing!' A sixth user stated, 'Lol. It took me a while to understand the reference to Krishna's butter stealing incident. What a clever and funny ad!' A seventh user said, 'Janmashtmi p April fool bna rahe hain.' A user on X wrote, 'Ordered from Zepto and found an empty butter packet with this note inside. Smooth marketing!'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Problematic convenience leads to overspending in quick commerce
By Prateek Khanna and Ashish Gupta Q-commerce transforms the dynamics of the retail sector by changing consumer expectations by rapidly delivering products. This is an emerging sector in the retail business, as customers demand faster delivery, and companies seek scalable solutions. Technology breakthroughs, changing business models, and changing consumer behaviour contribute to the dramatic transformation of the retail industry. Traditional retail and e-commerce paradigms have been upended by the emergence of Q-commerce, compelling companies to reconsider their supply chains, logistics and customer engagement tactics. According to Statista (2025), the Quick Commerce market is expected to generate US$5.38 billion in revenue by 2025. Revenue is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2030) of 15.54%, translating into a market volume of USD 265 billion by 2029. The number of users is expected to reach 65 million by 2030. User penetration is predicted to reach 2.7 % by the end of 2025 and is expected to hit 4.3% by 2030. Urbanisation, shifting lifestyles, transportation infrastructure, and demographic shifts all contribute to this growth. Q-commerce apps such as Zepto, Zomato, Blinkit, Dunzo, and Swiggy's Instamart have become extremely popular in the recent past because of their instant delivery . Initially serving as stores for groceries and other necessities, these apps have grown into full-fledged businesses that sell everything from electronic gadgets to the Fenni Sargi Sweets Box ( Karwa Chauth Special) and Pooja thali (Rakshabandhan and Diwali). However, it comes with hidden costs, most notably, the tendency to overspend without realising it. Although this convenience is revolutionary, it may have some drawbacks. The mental friction associated with spending, which usually slows impulsive decisions, is exacerbated by the fact that items are delivered faster than ever before. Quick commerce's behavioural, psychological, and economic effects are coming under closer scrutiny, as consumers frequently spend more money than they intend on items that may not always be necessary. Flash sales, free delivery offers, personalised recommendations, and gamified user interfaces are features of Q-commerce platforms that encourage impulsive purchasing. Instant Gratification Today, consumers increasingly seek immediate gratification. This need is met by Quick Commerce, which delivers goods in ten to 15 minutes quicker than most people can get to a local store or Kirana. Customers now prefer ordering even the smallest items, such as milk, bread and butter, biscuits, and chocolate, because of their convenience, resulting in ongoing and cumulative excessive spending. Reduced Purchase Friction Customers frequently go through a longer decision-making process when shopping. They might physically browse aisles, compare costs, or inspect the quality of products. The procedure was streamlined and digitised in Q-commerce. The barrier between desire and acquisition is almost completely removed with one-click purchases and saved payment methods, which leads to unforeseen spending, which eventually becomes overspending . Illusion of Micro/ Low-Cost Purchases Most orders on Q-commerce platforms are under ₹300, and customers frequently do not keep track of how frequently they make these small purchases. Individually, they seem reasonably priced, but when taken as a whole, they significantly strain their monthly budgets. When a lump-sum amount is not displayed until the end of the month, consumers frequently underestimate the total amount spent. Ms. Divya, a homemaker from Jaipur, acknowledged that she frequently adds items that she either has in her kitchen or will use later to reduce handling costs. Most Affected Demographics The groups most prone to excessive spending on Q-commerce are working parents, particularly mothers who are in charge of basic household expenses. Young professionals who have little free time and money. The availability of quick food and snacks frequently causes students to live away from home. Dr. Reetika Sehgal, an Assistant Professor at DIT University in Dehradun who is currently working in the Q-commerce area, shared some insights. She said that even elderly people and homemakers who do not have time constraints rely on quick delivery rather than going out themselves. These consumers are more inclined to convenience over pricing and make frequent micro purchases without considering the total financial impact. We are living in a world where everything we want is INSTANT, whether food, groceries, banking services, loan approval, or booking tickets and lists are endless. (The authors are based at Centre for Marketing Research and Communication, ICFAI Business School, Jaipur, India and at Faculty of Management, South Asian University, New Delhi (An International University established by SAARC Nations. Views expressed are personal.)
