A couple of years back, it was normal to wait two or three days to receive an online order. In modern times, a line of more than 30 minutes to get groceries is slow. This huge transition is courtesy of the so-called quick commerce or q-commerce. It is all about providing daily needs- groceries, stationery, personal care products to the customers in an extremely short duration which is typically less than 30 minutes.
It has been explosive in growth, particularly in India. Let us take a look at the figures to understand how huge this is:
- Enormous Market Potential: The Indian quick commerce market was estimated to have been approximately 0.3 billion dollars in 2021, and is projected to rise to a staggering 5.5 billion dollars by the year 2025. That is an increase of over 15 times in four years!
- Order Volume Explosion: The total number of orders processed by quick commerce platforms in major Indian cities is more than 0.85–0.95 million per day as per March 2024. This indicates a massive and steady urban consumer demand that is keen on speed and convenience.
- Market leader: Blinkit is a market leader, supported by Zomato. Blinkit has experienced a growth of more than 25 percent quarter-over-quarter in some of its months, indicating its fast growth and expanding customer base.
- Shifting Consumer Behaviors: In fact, a recent survey revealed that almost 60 percent of urban online grocery shoppers now use quick commerce platforms to meet their monthly and weekly needs as opposed to traditional e-commerce platforms.
Blinkit History, Idea & Growth
This is not a fad, it is a paradigm shift in the way we shop. And at the core of this revolution is the very special operational model of Blinkit franchise cost, which is based on a network of partners such as yourself.
Blinkit began in 2013 as Grofers, founded in Gurugram by Albinder Dhindsa and Saurabh Kumar. The original idea was to connect customers with local grocery and kirana stores via an app, enabling same-day deliveries. Over time, the founders saw growing demand for speed and convenience, especially in urban India, and began experimenting with dark stores—small, warehouse-like spaces stocked only for online orders.
In December 2021, Grofers rebranded as Blinkit to reflect its promise of ultra-fast delivery, often within 10–20 minutes. Blinkit built a hyperlocal network of dark stores located close to residential areas that optimizes picking, packing, and last-mile delivery.
The core idea is quick commerce (q-commerce)—delivering daily essentials, groceries, and other high-demand items in minutes, supported by tight supply-chain control, real-time inventory management, and a dense urban store network.
From ₹480 crores in 2021 (pre-rebranding), Blinkit’s revenue has grown rapidly: ₹760 crores in 2022 (+58.3%), ₹1,100 crores in 2023 (+44.7%), ₹1,850 crores in 2024 (+68.2%, projected), and ₹2,775 crores expected in 2025 (+50% projected).
By end of 2025, Blinkit—now under Eternal Limited (formerly Zomato)—is a market leader in India’s quick commerce sector, operating over 1,300 dark stores and preparing to shift to an inventory-led model for better quality control, supply-chain efficiency, and profit margins.
Blinkit: Key Statistics from Start to Mid 2025
| Year / Period | Key Milestones |
| 2013 | Founded as Grofers in Gurugram, India, focusing on hyperlocal grocery delivery. |
| 2015–2018 | Expanded to multiple cities; introduced app-based ordering and partnerships with local kirana stores. |
| 2019 | Shifted focus from marketplace model toward more controlled supply and inventory systems; began experimenting with dark store setups. |
| Dec 2021 | Rebranded from Grofers to Blinkit to focus on ultra-fast (10–20 minute) grocery and essentials delivery. |
| Jun 2022 | Acquired by Zomato in an all-stock deal; became part of Zomato’s quick commerce vertical. |
| 2023 | Scaled dark store network aggressively; reported rapid order growth in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities. |
| 2024 | Crossed 1,000 dark stores; expanded into new product categories like electronics accessories and home essentials; improved profitability metrics but continued heavy investment in expansion. |
| Feb 2025 | Zomato Limited rebranded as Eternal Limited; Blinkit continued as its quick commerce arm. |
| Q1 2025 | Achieved ~46% market share in Indian quick commerce; over 1,300 dark stores in operation. |
| May 2025 | Announced plans to reach ~2,000 dark stores by end of 2026 while aiming to maintain profitability. |
| Aug 2025 | Confirmed transition to an inventory-led model effective September 1, 2025, to gain tighter control over supply, quality, and margins. |
What is Blinkit’s Business Model?
The business model of Blinkit is straightforward, fast. The company ensures that the majority of orders are delivered within 10-20 minutes. The magic occurs in its network of hyperlocal fulfillment centers, or so-called dark stores.
- Customer makes an order: You go to the Blinkit app and add things to the cart.
- Order to the closest dark store: the technology of Blinkit immediately locates the closest dark store to you where all the purchased items are available.
- Order is packed at the store: The personnel in that store receives the order on their device and removes the items off the shelves and packs them in 2-3 minutes.
- Handover to delivery partner: The packed order is given to a Blinkit delivery partner who is already waiting there.
- Last-mile delivery: The delivery partner flies through the locality and drops the order at your doorstep.
The entire process, once you tap Place Order to the sound of the doorbell, is meant to last within minutes. Blinkit earns money through selling products at a margin and you as a store partner earn a commission on each order that is fulfilled out of your store.
Understanding the Blinkit Partner Program
When a person mentions a Blinkit franchise, he/she is usually talking about the Blinkit Partner Program. One should understand the distinction.
A traditional franchise (such as McDonalds or Subway) involves purchasing the right to utilize the name, products and systems of a brand to open a store that deals with customers. You have some control of your own outlet, but you pay a lot of franchise fee and royalties.
Blinkit has a different model. You do not start a shop that people go into. Rather, you join with Blinkit and own and run one of their dark stores. You operate the store, but you only work with Blinkit and their technology, brand and delivery network.
Therefore, when we say franchise in this guide we are referring to this partner-owned, partner-operated (POPO) dark store concept.
Franchise vs. Partner Program
To make it crystal clear, let’s compare a traditional franchise with the Blinkit Partner Program.
| Feature | Traditional Franchise (e.g., a Cafe) | Blinkit Partner Program |
| Customer Interaction | High. Customers walk into your store. | Zero. No customers are allowed inside. |
| Brand Ownership | You license the brand name for your outlet. | You operate under the Blinkit brand; you don’t own it. |
| Primary Role | Customer service, sales, and operations. | Purely operations and inventory management. |
| Technology | You might use the franchisor’s POS system. | You are completely dependent on Blinkit’s proprietary tech for orders, inventory, and analytics. |
| Marketing | You may need to do local marketing. | Blinkit handles all the customer-facing marketing and brand building. |
| Revenue Model | Direct sales to customers. | Commission per order fulfilled for Blinkit. |
What is the Blinkit “Dark Store” Model? – Define the Concept
A dark store is a mini factory which resembles a supermarket in the interior but is not open to customers. No displays, no carts, no cash counters. It can be considered as an online supermarket.
The following are the key characteristics of the dark store of Blinkit:
- Speed first: The shop is designed in a manner that allows employees to pick products quickly. Most popular goods are located in the places that are easy to reach by the staff.
- High demand products: The shop has 2000-3000 emergency products: bread, milk, snacks, instant noodles, and simple medicines.
- Technology-driven: Handheld devices are used by workers that indicate the location of each item. Shelves are stocked with the help of real-time inventory monitoring.
- Well selected location: This shop is located in a densely populated, residential neighborhood, not in a large commercial avenue, so it is never more than 2-3 kilometers away from a client, which allows delivering a purchase in 10 minutes.
Through these stores, Blinkit reduces the expense of expensive retail space and develops a system that is only centered on fast delivery.
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Blinkit Franchise Cost & Investment Breakdown (2025)
To begin with, what is the Blinkit franchise cost of opening a Blinkit dark store in 2025?
Blinkit does not provide a definite price, but according to the information provided by current partners and the industry in general, it is possible to make an unambiguous approximation. The overall investment may differ significantly with the city (Tier-1 or Tier-2) and store size.
This Blinkit franchise cost is typically divided into two: the one-time set up cost and the reoccurring operational cost.
Estimated One-Time Investment:
The following is what you will require initially:
- Franchise fee: Blinkit’s one-time franchise fee ranges from ₹2–5 lakhs, varying by city tier—highest in Tier 1 metros, moderate in Tier 2, and lowest in Tier 3 markets.
- Refundable Security Deposit: Blinkit is asking for a deposit to protect itself. You will be refunded this at the expiry of your contract.
Approximate cost: 3,00,000 5,00,000
- Store setup and interior (fit-outs): You will need to convert a bare space into a working dark store. This Blinkit franchise cost entails: Storage racks and shelves. Dairy, ice cream, frozen goods, refrigerators and deep freezers. Air conditioning to ensure the safety of the products. Office furniture, billing counters, and packing tables.
Approximate cost: 500,000 10,00,000 - First stock buy: You must have product to stock the store before you can begin to fulfill orders. This is the most Blinkit franchise costly one in the list.
Approximate Cost: 8,00,000 -15,00,000 - Licenses and registrations: You will require a trade license, FSSAI license, GST registration and other licenses to operate.
Approximate Cost: 50,000- 1,00,000
Total Estimated One-Time Investment: Between 16.5 lakhs to 31 lakhs (approximately 17 to 31 Lakhs).
You should also have a working capital of approximately 3- 5 Lakhs to sustain you during your initial months as the business builds up to sustain itself.
Blinkit Franchise Profitability and ROI
Now you are aware of the first big question: where do your goods come from? And here is the second: How much can you make?
Your profitability as a Blinkit partner is directly proportional to the efficiency of your store and volumes of orders.
- Revenue Model: You do not determine the prices of the products. Your earning is a commission (or a handling fee) that Blinkit pays you per order that is fulfilled out of your store. Such a commission is agreed in advance as a percentage of the order value.
Suppose the commission rate is say 10 percent of the Gross Order Value (GOV).
- Assuming your store makes 50,000 orders in a day, then the day will have a gross revenue of 5000.
- This would amount to 5000* 30 = 1,50,000 in a month.
Monthly Operational Expenses:
Take the amount of money you earn every month and take out the expenses that do not change:
- Rent of Stores: It varies according to geographical location. As an example, it can be 50,000 to 1,20,000 in a Tier-2 city.
- Employee wages: You will require a store manager, pickers, and packers. You could have 8-12 people on the payroll. Their salary may be between 1,20,000 and 2,00,000.
- Electricity Bill: A lot of power is consumed by cooling and freezing equipment. It may be 25000 to 50000.
- Internet and technology costs: You need a back-end system and a good internet connection. You may invest something like 5000 rupees in this.
- Wastage & Spoilage: Fresh produce and dairy can spoil. This is difficult to estimate but will be approximately 1-2 % of the value of what you hold in stock.
- Miscellaneous: These are other small expenses such as maintenance and supplies. Allot around 10,000 rupees to this.
List your monthly revenue now, and deduct the Blinkit franchise costs. Assume that you are located in a Tier-2 city:
- Daily Order: 300 Daily Order
- Average Order Value (AOV): 400.
- Daily GOV: 300 * 400 = 1,20,000
- Monthly GOV: 1,20,000 * 30 = 36,00,000
- Gross Monthly Revenue (8 % commission): 36,00,000* 0.08 = 2,88,000
Net Monthly Profit: The revenue is 2,88,000 and the expenses are 2,35,000; the profit is 53,000.
Thus your net profit margin is (53,000/ 288,000) * 100= approx. 18% of your commission revenue or (53,000/ 36,00,000) * 100= approx. 1.5% of the total order value. An efficiently run store in a good location can make more profits.
Return on Investment (ROI): At an initial investment of 20 lakhs and annual net profit of 53,000 x 12 = 6,36,000, break-even period or the time to recover your investment would be 20,00,000/ 6,36,000 = 3.14 years or around 30-38 months.
Eligibility Criteria and Requirements
Blinkit seeks long term partners with the knowledge of how to run a business. The following are the key things you should be able to provide.
Financial Eligibility
- Investment Capacity: You should be able to invest 20 -30 Lakh rupees without straining your finances.
- Working Capital: You will also require some additional funds to take care of the day to day expenses for at least 3-6 months.
- Good Financial Record: Normally, a clean financial record and a high CIBIL score is required.
Space & Location
- Space: You will need a commercial space of about 1,500 to 2,500 square feet.
- Ground Floor: The area should be at the ground floor in order to facilitate easy movement of goods in and out and the delivery partners to come and go fast.
- Location: The place is highly important. It must be located in a residential area with a high population density and density of the target audience of Blinkit (young professionals, families, students). The team of Blinkit will verify data to accept or decline a proposed location.
- Parking Space: This should have ample parking space for the delivery partners bikes.
- Clearances: The property should be legally clean and should possess all the required permits.
Business Skills
- Entrepreneurial Spirit: You must be a self starter, someone who would like to build and operate a business.
- Work Experience: It is a huge plus to have a previous work experience in retail, logistics or warehouse management. You have to be effective at inventory, process, and people management.
- Team Management: You will manage a team of 10-15 people, as well as hire them. One must be a good leader.
- Technologically Inclined: You should also be tech-savvy, as the whole process is conducted through the software of Blinkit.
How to Apply for a Blinkit Dark Store Franchise
In case you fit the criteria and would like to work with Blinkit, here is what you should do.
- Visit the Official Blinkit Webpage: Never believe in third party agents.
- Locate the Franchise Section: Visit “https://blinkit.com/franchise“. Fill Form.
- Complete the application/inquiry form: Enter your Name and Contact information (Email, Phone number). Put in your City and State. Include the details of a property you have. Write your total investment capacity. Discuss your past business experience.
- Initial Screening: The Blinkit team looks through your application. They are looking for serious applicants that match their initial financial and location criteria. In the event that your profile is shortlisted, one of their Business Development team would call you.
- Specific Discussion and Site Review: It is a critical phase. You will discuss in detail with the Blinkit team. They will clarify the business model, the revenue sharing and expectations. In case you have a property in mind, their team will visit the site to assess the feasibility of the property using their data.
- Record and Contractual Agreement: Provided all goes on well, you will proceed to the documentation stage. You will provide your financial (bank statements, ITR) and property documents. You will enter into a comprehensive legal contract that will spell out all the terms and conditions of the partnership.
- Store Setup and Training: Once you sign the agreement, you may establish your dark store in line with the guidelines of Blinkit. In the meantime, Blinkit will give you and your store manager rigorous training on its systems, processes, and best practices.
- Go Live!: When the store is prepared, the opening inventory is put in place, and your staff is trained, your dark store will become a part of the Blinkit network. After that you can begin to take orders and start your life as a Blinkit partner.
Blinkit Support and Contact Information
Blinkit makes its partners successful. Here’s how:
- Technology support: A helpdesk provides answers to questions and resolves issues with the software or hardware of the company.
- Operational guidance: Area managers would visit the partner store on a regular basis to increase efficiency and profits.
- Inventory supply chain: Blinkit assists the partner in sourcing products in its approved network of suppliers.
Contact Details:
- Website: https://blinkit.com/
- Franchise Page: https://blinkit.com/franchise
- Partnership: https://blinkit.com/partner
- Information Guide: merchantfirst@grofers.com
Any official communication should be made via the official website of the company, www.blinkit.com. Watch out for fraudulent websites or scammers who might want to take your money online. Any financial transactions should occur in documented, official ways following a legal contract.
Marketing & Success Tips for 2025
Blindkmit is in charge of the marketing aspect of the business. It is your task to concentrate on ensuring smooth running of day-to-day operations. Do these things and you will be a successful Blinkit partner in 2025:
- Learn how to manage inventories: Wastage is bad to the profit, therefore, rely on Blinkit data to forecast demand. Monitor expiry dates on fresh items; a 1 per cent reduction in wastage can increase your bottom line.
- The essence of the promise is speed and accuracy: Train employees to pick and pack within 3 minutes. It is equally important that it is accurate, otherwise, incorrect or missing items cause customer dissatisfaction and damage your store rating.
- Become an excellent employer: Your greatest asset is your staff. An effective team is a happy and motivated one. Provide good salaries, working conditions and bonuses on target achievement. Low employee turnover is time and cost-saving.
- Be open to the data: Blinkit provides rich analytics about the performance of your store- order times, fill rates, peak hours, popular items. Use such information to make informed decisions that will enhance operations.
- Service your store: Make it neat, tidy and well-kept. Make sure that all equipment are in perfect condition, particularly refrigerators and freezers to avoid spoilage of products.
Learn about other franchise options in our guide on franchises in India.
Conclusion: Is a Blinkit Partnership Right for You?
Blinkit dark store partnership is a cool, new approach to the fast-developing quick commerce market. It is technologically advanced and fast, leaving behind the traditional retail.
It is not a quick money thing. It requires a large amount of initial capital, active management, and a keen eye on efficient operations. It is not a salesmanship business, but a precision, process type of business.
Is it worth considering?
- YES, provided: you have the capital, you like operations and logistics, you are computer literate, and you are enthusiastic about a high-volume, process-based business.
- MAYBE NOT, when: You want a passive investment, you want to deal with customers in person, or you are not comfortable relying on the technology and brand of one partner.
By joining forces with the Blinkit franchise cost, you will have an opportunity to have a piece of the future of commerce. Are you willing to put on your sleeves and get into the business of 10-minute deliveries? Then, this path may be right up your alley.
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FAQs
1. Will I have the right to the Blinkit brand when I open a store?
No, you do not own the Blinkit brand. It is a partner program and not a traditional franchise. You own and run the assets and operations of the dark store, but only in the Blinkit brand name, on their technology and on their customers.
2. What is a realistic amount of cash I can make monthly?
The amount of profit that you make per month is based solely on the location of the store, the number of orders that you receive and how well you manage your expenses.
3. Does Blinkit assist in locating an appropriate place of the dark store?
Yes, and this is one of the important stages. Although you can suggest a place, the decision will be made by the team of Blinkit.
4. What are the most significant problems of operating a Blinkit dark store?
The most difficult parts are to maintain an inventory that would reduce wastage, to have a highly motivated and efficient workforce that would ensure speed and accuracy, and to control the operational costs such as rent and electricity.
