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Raids On Zepto, Blinkit: The Ugly Side Of Dark Stores

30 0
15.06.2025

Haste makes waste – the old adage fits perfectly for modern quick commerce apps. Behind the shine of 10-minute deliveries, there’s a murkier layer — as recent raids on Zepto and Blinkit dark stores and quick cafe kitchens have revealed.

Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) Maharashtra suspended the food business licence of Blinkit’s dark store in Pune’s Balewadi, citing regulatory as well as food security violations. And before this, Zepto was on the end of a similar raid in Mumbai — though that order has now been revoked.

But what exactly goes on inside a dark store or a quick cafe kitchen and are the likes of Zepto, Blinkit, Instamart and others keeping up with the rules? Let’s take a look, but before that, here are our top stories from this past week:

Decoding The Sovereign AI Dream: In the current business environment for AI, which is heavily influenced by geopolitics, India needs to have a robust strategy around sovereign AI tech and homegrown LLMs. But what’s the ground reality? Mainstreet’s Folly: Despite raising about $2 Mn from noted angels, Mainstreet never left the cashburn mode, and the once-hyped sneaker reseller and marketplace soon found itself hitting a wall. Here’s how the cookie crumbled Reels Vs OTT Platforms: Can micro dramas or reel shows become the next big thing in India? Reelies cofounder Anshuman Misraa certainly thinks so as the startup is looking to jump on this bandwagon

Spotlight Falls On Zepto, Blinkit Dark Stores

The quick commerce trinity – Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto – have often faced severe backlash on social media platforms, where customers raised concerns around dark patterns, expired or out-of-date products or even decaying items being delivered. While most of these companies

With the Indian quick commerce market projected to hit $40 Bn by 2030, dark stores are struggling to keep the pace. From lack of proper training to the on-ground workforce to missing out on frequent audits in these stores, brands are losing value, customers and credibility.

Inc42 spoke to food safety department officials in Maharashtra to understand exactly what went wrong at Zepto, for instance, which led to the raid on its Dharavi facility.

A government official told Inc42 that several products had fungal growth and the cold storage area was not maintained properly. Lack of storage temperature facilities resulted in stagnant water around the cold storage area, the official........

© Inc42