India's dark stores are about to explode in number
India's quick commerce scene—known for ultra-fast delivery—is on a serious growth streak.
Right now, there are around 2,500 dark stores (those speedy delivery hubs you never see) spread across 100+ cities.
But by 2030, experts say we'll see nearly 7,500 of them, covering almost triple the space they do today.
Big cities still rule—but smaller towns are catching up
Major metros like Delhi-NCR (400 stores), Bengaluru (360), Mumbai (250), and Chennai (190) currently host most of these dark stores—about two-thirds.
But here's the twist: one-third have already popped up in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, showing that quick delivery is no longer just a "big city" thing.
Q-commerce is getting bigger—and smarter
Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, and Zepto are key players in the market.
Even Unilever expects quick commerce to make up as much as 15% of its sales in the next three-four years, from 2-3% currently—a big jump from today's numbers.
Developers are also moving from makeshift spaces to custom-built stores to keep up with all that demand.