Centre asks Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy to stop 10-minute delivery claims: sources
New Delhi: The Centre has asked quick commerce platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy to stop advertising 10-minute delivery timelines and instead prioritise the safety of delivery partners, government sources said.
Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a meeting with representatives of several food delivery and quick commerce companies, including Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit and Zepto, to discuss concerns related to delivery timelines, NDTV reported on Tuesday.
Sources said that Blinkit has revised its tagline from “10,000 plus products delivered in 10 minutes” to “30,000 plus products delivered at your doorstep”.
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The 10-minute delivery promise has been a subject of intense public debate, with concerns raised that it could jeopardise the safety of delivery partners.
The development comes amid growing pressure from gig worker unions. On December 25, unions representing delivery workers staged protests demanding better pay, social security benefits and the removal of rigid delivery deadlines. They had warned of a nationwide strike on December 31 if their demands were not met.
Following the protest call, Swiggy and Zomato announced an increase in delivery incentives. However, the unions warned that they would launch a massive agitation if their demands were not met.
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SC asks states to treat rising child trafficking cases as grave; seeks coordinated action
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has voiced grave concern over rising cases of child trafficking, saying gangs are operating across the country and if States and Union territories do not take immediate action, thing will go beyond control.
The court said only the state government and its home department can act vigilantly in this regard.
“As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request”, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said during the hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
The bench was irked over the "lackadaisical" approach of several states and UTs in implementing a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling organised trafficking networks.
Justice Viswanathan said the retrieval of children in some cases proves the problem can be tackled, but it requires a level of political and administrative will which is lacking at present.
The verdict, delivered on April 15, 2025, had mandated several institutional reforms, including completion of trials in trafficking cases within six months on a day-to-day basis.
It had also directed strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and improving investigation standards.
Besides asking for setting up of state-level committees to monitor vulnerable trafficking hotspots, it had asked the authorities to treat missing children cases as trafficking unless proven otherwise.
Earlier, the bench had termed the compliance reports filed by a few states as "nothing but an eye wash."
On Wednesday, the bench noted that Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Punjab had still failed to file reports in the prescribed format.
When the home secretary of Madhya Pradesh offered an apology for the lapse, the bench granted a "final opportunity" but warned that continued failure would lead to states being officially branded as "defaulting".
The bench noted that at least 15 states are yet to constitute review committees mandated to identify and monitor trafficking-prone areas.
The matter will now be heard on April 29.
