Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries has opted to grow independently in India’s fast-growing quick commerce market, saying that acquisition does not make sense based on their cost structures.The company said it will grow on its own, citing integration challenges and a strong customer base.“We do not want to leave any pocket where we are not competitive. Organic versus inorganic is an interesting one. It is very difficult to integrate somebody with your existing network. We have been focusing on building our network organically. And we have a big customer base which is already there with us,” Dinesh Taluja, CFO at Reliance Retail told ET, during a post earnings call.He noted that the company only opens dark stores, small warehouses used for fast deliveries, in areas with high order volume where its existing stores either cannot support demand or are not present.“So, economics is much better for me because I am able to leverage existing infrastructure. And most of my dark stores are in places where the order volumes are high and dark stores are a positive contribution margin from day one,” he added.The contribution of quick commerce to e-commerce sales in India has seen a consistent doubling annually, albeit from a modest base, representing 3-6% for most consumer goods companies.Initially serving as a supplementary service for urgent grocery needs and small purchases, quick commerce has evolved to become the fastest-expanding sales channel, particularly for premium products.The quick commerce sector in India has evolved into a $10 billion gross merchandise value market, serving 30 million monthly users. However, metropolitan areas generate 80% of total sales, while achieving profitable growth in non-metropolitan regions remains challenging.Whilst established e-commerce entities like JioMart, Flipkart and Amazon maintain significant presence, the quick commerce segment is predominantly controlled by Zepto, Blinkit and Instamart, ET reported.For the quarter ended June, Reliance reported significant growth in its quick hyperlocal commerce daily orders, showing an increase of 68% quarter-on-quarter and 175% year-on-year.According to a recent report by Redseer, quick commerce in India grew by 150% year-on-year during the first five months of 2025. This rapid growth was driven by the expansion of dark stores, a wider product selection, entry into new categories, and intense competition, all helping deliver a broader range of products to consumers at faster speeds.Meanwhile, Reliance Industries stated that its quick commerce strategy will rely primarily on its existing retail stores, with dark stores used to fill service gaps. The company initially focused on next-day delivery but shifted its approach after recognizing that customers prefer faster deliveries and instant convenience. It also noted that while most competitors are concentrating on metro and tier-1 cities, Reliance aims to broaden its reach beyond these markets.
