Mumbai: Publicis Commerce India, in collaboration with MMA Global India, has unveiled the Quick Commerce Playbook India 2025 — a first-of-its-kind deep-dive into India’s rapidly expanding quick commerce (Q-commerce) landscape. The playbook serves as a definitive guide for marketers to decode the dynamics of growth, profitability, and long-term sustainability in one of the country’s fastest-evolving retail channels.
The launch event, held in Mumbai, featured Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia; Lalatendu Das, CEO, Publicis Media South Asia; and Moneka Khurana, Country Head & Board Member, MMA Global India. The unveiling was followed by a panel discussion with industry leaders, who unpacked the report’s findings and implications for the marketing and retail ecosystem.
India’s Q-Commerce Surge: A $7 Billion Market
Quick Commerce in India has witnessed a meteoric rise — from $1.5 billion in 2022 to approximately $7 billion in 2024, marking a 4.5x growth in just two years. The sector is projected to grow at ~40% CAGR through 2030, outpacing traditional e-retail, which is expected to expand at ~18% CAGR.
However, the Playbook also reveals a growth-profitability paradox, with 70% of surveyed brands citing that Q-commerce remains less profitable than other channels, despite its scale and speed.
Key Insights from the Playbook
- Visibility drives sales: 89% of consumers visit only one product page before purchase and rarely scroll beyond the first fold.
- Timing is everything: Staples peak between 6–9 am and 6–9 pm, while snacks surge during afternoons and late evenings.
- Short shelf cycles: Platforms typically stock SKUs for only 3–7 days, demanding precise forecasting and agile supply chains.
- Power of partnerships: Brands that work closely with Q-commerce platforms achieve better visibility, insights, and faster product adoption.
- Beyond discounts: Success in Q-commerce hinges on supply chain agility, portfolio management, and retail media optimization, rather than price cuts.
Festive Season Insights: Quick Commerce at Its Peak
Drawing from MMA Global India’s latest survey – “Unpacking Quick Commerce in the Festive Season”, the Playbook highlights that the festive months represent Q-commerce’s strongest growth phase:
- Speed (50%) tops the list of purchase drivers, followed by discounts (31.6%).
- Weekly festive deals (64.9%) sustain engagement and drive higher conversions.
- Impulse hampers (57.1%) and premium curated packs (34.3%) dominate gifting trends.
- Premium/luxury categories (72%) gain trust when backed by brand guarantees.
- Gifting (67.6%) and FMCG (64.9%) emerge as the top-performing festive segments.
- Inventory readiness (64.9%) and real-time agility (45–49%) are crucial on festival days.
- 51% of marketers already view Q-commerce as a high-priority channel, with 44% planning to allocate over 20% of their budgets to it in the next 12–18 months.
These findings underline Q-commerce’s transformation from a convenience-driven format into a frontline growth engine, particularly during festive peaks.
Lalatendu Das, CEO, Publicis Media South Asia, said, “Quick Commerce has ingrained itself into consumers’ lives faster than any other retail format. But our survey shows that profitability remains a challenge for most brands. This is where the playbook comes in. It provides leaders with key strategies on supply chain reorientation, smarter portfolio management, and retail media optimization. The report makes it clear that success in Quick Commerce is not about deep discounting, but about precision in demand forecasting, visibility, and agility in execution.”
Moneka Khurana, Country Head & Board Member, MMA Global India, added, “Quick Commerce is no longer just about convenience—it’s a $7 billion growth arena where brands are fighting for relevance, loyalty, and market share. With an audience that’s urban and affluent, the opportunity is massive, but readiness is lagging. The brands that win are the ones that treat Quick Commerce as a full-funnel growth engine. Hence, at MMA Global India, we are proud to support the launch of this valuable Q-first strategy resource to help marketers advance their ability to create value and drive business impact.”
With Quick Commerce Playbook India 2025, Publicis Commerce India and MMA Global India have created a comprehensive guide that empowers marketers, retailers, and ecosystem partners to navigate India’s next big retail revolution — one driven by speed, insight, and innovation.
