BigBasket, part of the Tata Group, has launched a 10‑minute food delivery pilot from its dark stores in select Bengaluru neighborhoods. The service offers menu items from Starbucks and Qmin, with plans to expand swiftly and eventually go nationwide by March 2026
1. Bengaluru Pilot: Starbucks & Qmin Menu
Launched last month, the pilot includes curated beverage and meal options from Tata Group brands—Starbucks and Qmin. The service is now live across 40 dark stores in Bengaluru, with plans to scale by July .
2. National Ambition: March 2026 Target
BigBasket aims to extend the 10‑minute food delivery service nationwide by the end of the 2025–26 fiscal year. This marks its entry into India’s fast-growing ₹7.1 billion quick‑commerce industry reuters.com.
3. Dark Store Network Expansion
To support ultra-fast delivery, BigBasket is expanding its dark store network from 700 to 1,000–1,200 locations by December 2025. Bengaluru alone will have approximately 40 enabled stores by July
4. Competing in Q‑Commerce
The new food service is designed to compete with Swiggy’s Snacc, Blinkit’s Bistro, and Zepto Café. Leveraging food items alongside groceries, BigBasket aims to serve existing food delivery users and win new customers
5. Leverages Tata Ecosystem
The service exclusively features Tata hospitality brands, avoiding external partnerships. This strategy supports faster fulfillment while maintaining quality—currently around 5–10% of BigBasket users already order food with groceries
🔍 Why It Matters
| Factors | Macro Impact |
|---|---|
| Consumer demand | Reflects rising appetite for ultra-fast food and grocery delivery |
| Q-comm boom | The sector is driving a surge in hyperlocal warehouse creation in metro and Tier-2 cities |
| Strategic synergy | Utilizes existing dark stores and Tata-owned brands for frictionless rollout |
| Competitive edge | Moves BigBasket deeper into the express delivery arena, once primarily focused on groceries |
👣 What Comes Next
- July: Complete rollout across 40 Bengaluru dark stores
- Fiscal 2026: Nationwide launch leveraging 1,000–1,200 regional dark stores
- Expansion of SKUs: Introduce medicine, electronics, FMCG essentials, and more
Summary
BigBasket’s 10‑minute food delivery pilot in Bengaluru, powered by Starbucks and Qmin, represents a bold step into quick‑commerce. With a national launch by March 2026 and dark-store expansion underway, BigBasket is set to challenge food delivery stalwarts like Swiggy, Blinkit, and Zepto in India’s fast‑growing instant delivery market.
