BigBasket and Quick Commerce: The Basket is big, but can it get Quicker?

BigBasket, an online grocery platform launched in 2011, established itself as a leader in India's fast-growing e-commerce market, capturing a 37% share of the online grocery segment by 2021. With a robust supply chain, diverse product assortment, and a scheduled delivery model, the company catered to evolving consumer needs, further buoyed by the pandemic-led digital acceleration. In May 2021, Tata Digital, a subsidiary of the Tata Group, acquired a majority stake in BigBasket, integrating the company into Tata's vision for a comprehensive digital consumer ecosystem. However, the competitive landscape was shifting rapidly. Emerging Quick-commerce players like Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, and Zepto disrupted the market with a promise of ultra-fast delivery-targeting impulse and top-up purchases, an emerging segment of consumer demand. With a neighborhood dark store led delivery model, the new players were delivering a superior customer experience compared to BigBasket's scheduled delivery model. This raised critical questions for BigBasket's leadership: Should the company enter the Quick-commerce space? If so, should it build capabilities in-house or acquire an existing player? How could BigBasket leverage its established strengths while developing new competencies for this high-speed model? Most importantly, was it possible to make Quick Commerce a sustainable and profitable business in India's price-sensitive market? This case presents BigBasket's strategic dilemma as it navigates the challenges of maintaining its leadership position while addressing the disruptive potential of Quick commerce.