Blinkit Gets ₹450 Crore Boost From Eternal to Expand Dark Store Network

Blinkit has received a ₹450 crore capital infusion from its parent company Eternal, formerly known as Zomato, as competition intensifies in India’s fast-growing quick commerce market.

The funding was made through a rights issue, according to regulatory filings. Blinkit’s board approved the allotment of 2,799 equity shares to Eternal at ₹16.07 lakh per share, marking the company’s first investment into Blinkit in 2026.

Continued Investment in Quick Commerce Growth

Eternal has been steadily investing in Blinkit to strengthen its position in the quick commerce race.

During 2025 alone, the parent company infused ₹2,600 crore into Blinkit through multiple rounds:

• ₹500 crore in January
• ₹1,500 crore in February
• ₹600 crore in November

The newly raised capital will primarily be used for:

• Expanding Blinkit’s dark store (micro-warehouse) network
• Meeting working capital requirements
• Scaling operations across multiple cities

Blinkit is aggressively expanding its logistics infrastructure and aims to reach 3,000 dark stores by March 2027.

As of December 31, the company operated 2,027 micro-warehouses across India.

Quick Commerce Competition Intensifies

India’s quick commerce sector is witnessing aggressive investments as companies race to dominate ultra-fast delivery.

Key competitors include:

• Zepto, which raised $450 million and has filed confidential IPO papers with SEBI
• Swiggy, which raised ₹10,000 crore through a QIP in December 2025 to scale Instamart

Large e-commerce players are also entering the rapid delivery space, including:

• Amazon
• Flipkart
• Reliance Industries

All of them are experimenting with faster fulfilment models to capture the growing demand for 10-minute delivery services.

Eternal has previously described the competition in quick commerce as “irrational”, reflecting the heavy capital being deployed across the sector.

Blinkit Now Central to Eternal’s Strategy

Despite the intense competition and heavy investments, Blinkit has emerged as a core growth engine for Eternal.

In terms of net order value, Blinkit has now surpassed Eternal’s food delivery business, which historically generated the majority of the group’s revenue.

The company reported strong performance in the December quarter:

• Revenue: ₹12,256 crore, up from ₹1,399 crore a year earlier
• Gross Profit: ₹3,539 crore, compared with ₹1,300 crore in the previous year

Blinkit also achieved adjusted EBITDA profitability, reporting a ₹4 crore profit in Q3 FY26, compared with a ₹103 crore loss in the same quarter last year.

Leadership Changes at Eternal

Earlier in 2026, Deepinder Goyal stepped down as Managing Director and CEO of Eternal.

Blinkit founder Albinder Dhindsa was subsequently elevated to Group CEO of Eternal, while continuing to lead Blinkit’s quick commerce operations.

The leadership shift reflects the growing importance of quick commerce within Eternal’s long-term strategy.

Why This Matters

Quick commerce has rapidly evolved from a niche delivery model to one of the most competitive segments in India’s startup ecosystem.

With Blinkit becoming central to Eternal’s growth strategy, continued investments in dark store infrastructure and logistics could help the company maintain its leadership position — even as rivals aggressively expand.

The next phase of competition will likely be defined by unit economics, operational efficiency, and network scale.