PhonePe's Pincode will deliver your medicines in just 10 minutes
What's the story
PhonePe's e-commerce platform Pincode has launched a 10-minute medicine delivery service in Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai. The service, notable for its quick delivery time, offers users with a 24-hour online medicine delivery. Unlike other players in the market, Pincode doesn't follow a dark store model. The platform also offers direct discounts from local pharmacies without any extra delivery charges.
Customer support
Free consultations and digital prescriptions
For customers without a prescription, Pincode offers the option to choose "no prescription" while adding medicines to their cart. A qualified doctor will then contact you for a free consultation and issue a digital prescription if required. Vivek Lohched, CEO of Pincode, said the service aims to enhance access to basic healthcare services, while bolstering the role of neighborhood medical shops in India's digital economy.
Growth strategy
Expansion plans and market competition
In November 2024, Pincode trialed its quick commerce service in select areas of Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Varanasi. The platform is transitioning from a buyer-side app on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform to a seller-side experience. This comes as other quick commerce giants such as Zepto and Swiggy's Instamart also explore the healthcare space by selling OTC medicines.
Market trends
Other players in the medicine delivery market
Recently, Swiggy launched an e-pharmacy on Instamart via a partnership with PharmEasy. Other platforms such as Tata 1mg and Apollo 24/7 are also at different stages of piloting quick medicine delivery. In March, healthtech start-up Zeno Health launched its 50-minute medicine delivery service in Mumbai after raising $25 million in Series C funding.