Brands triple Q-comm ad spends as platforms turn full-funnel powerhouses

Quick commerce (Q-comm) platforms are no longer just delivery solutions—they’ve become strategic, full-funnel advertising ecosystems. Over the past year, brands have tripled their ad spends on platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart, say industry experts.

“In just a year, brand investments in quick commerce advertising have soared by 2.5 to 3 times. Initially, brands treated these platforms as a tactical lever for festive bursts or promos but today, the shift is structural. This isn’t just about visibility—it’s about moment relevance,” said Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, Global CEO and Co-founder of Gozoop Group. 

Vansh Khanna, AVP – Key Accounts at Magnon Designory, echoes the sentiments, “Q-comm’s share of digital budgets has grown from 5% to as much as 30–40% in high-frequency categories. The Q-comm advertising, once a subset of e-commerce media, is now its own vertical with distinct formats, metrics, and content needs.”

This surge is driven by the platforms' rapid transformation into media-rich environments that integrate discovery, promotion, and purchase in a single user journey. FMCG brands, in particular, are going big—using these platforms for launches, seasonal campaigns, and hyperlocal targeting. 

“Qcom's contribution to Dabur’s overall business is increasing year on year and hence we are mindful to increase our spending in line with business. We are focusing on leveraging Q-comm as it is one of the best examples of getting ROI due to immediate conversion and capturing the audience when they are most susceptible to make a purchase,” says Ghazala Ali, head of e-commerce, Dabur India Ltd. 

Ali explains, “Q-comm still excels at performance-driven media, optimized for conversion rather than brand building. Most purchases are search-led, with consumers typically aware of what they want. While brands invest in visibility for new launches, the real traction comes from existing SKUs—leveraging awareness built outside Q-comm to drive in-platform sales.”

Q-comm ad revenue is expected to rise from ₹3,000 crore in CY 2024 to over ₹5,000 crore by end-2025, experts say. 

India’s quick-commerce industry is expected to reach USD 40 billion by 2030, and brands are dedicating a significant portion of their marketing budgets to quick commerce ads, especially for products where impulse buys matter most such as FMCG, personal care, etc.

“These platforms are pushing brands into onboarding packages that pre-commits them to ad spend over quarters. This rapid expansion reflects the growing demand for ultra-fast deliveries and the evolving preferences of modern consumers. Industry observers predict this shift from novelty to norm will continue over the next 2–3 years as platforms sharpen their targeting and ad tech capabilities,” Khanna explains. 

“A paradigm shift is being seen from creating awareness to promoting app installations, cart additions, and steering consumers to repeat purchases. Long gone are the days when brands were focused on creating recall value. Currently, direct conversions are the need of the hour to calibrate the success of the ad or campaign,” says Shradha Agarwal, Co-founder and Global CEO of Grapes Worldwide.

Platform-Level Momentum

According to the Indus Valley Report 2025, quick-commerce platforms now generate 3–3.5% of their GMV from advertising, with EBITDA margins as high as ~90%—surpassing revenues from delivery fees and product markups.

Their strategy: capture attention, influence decisions, and convert—all in a few seconds before checkout.

Blinkit generated over ₹400 crore in ad revenue in FY24, and that figure may double in FY25 amid rising brand partnerships and deeper ad integrations. Zepto, too, has scaled its ad infra significantly. Co-founder Aadit Palicha previously stated that Zepto has earned ₹1,000 crore from ads alone.

Swiggy Instamart continues to evolve its ad offerings with custom formats and exclusive brand tie-ups, leveraging its large base of high-frequency urban users.

Together, these platforms reach millions of daily users, offering advertisers high-intent, contextual environments that can trigger near-instant conversions—unlike traditional digital or even broader e-commerce channels.

Marketers are now pursuing performance‑based collaborations (e.g., CPAS) and measurable hyperlocal outreach.

Moreover, these platforms also offer real-time data, precision targeting, and strong ROI from performance campaigns, say marketers. 

Naqvi states, “On Q-commerce platforms, you’re not interrupting someone who's just scrolling, you’re showing up when they’re ready to buy. That intent makes all the difference. It’s high-impact, low-friction. For example, showing a soft drink and just like someone searching for chips or ordering lunch.”

“These platforms give us detailed data, what people are searching for, when they’re buying, and how often they repeat. It helps brands plan sharper campaigns and make faster, more informed decisions. Moreover, you can tweak your creatives, offers, or even product visibility based on specific pin codes. That kind of real-time, localised flexibility just isn’t possible on most other media channels. If it’s raining in Mumbai, you can push chai and pakora combos there but promote cold brews in Delhi where it’s sunny,” Naqvi noted. 

The Q-commerce is a hub overseeing the confluence of content, commerce, and context seamlessly, where it is recognized as both a utility and a discovery platform, noted Agarwal, adding, “Previously brands resorted to Q-commerce during festive offers, weekend deals, or product launches, at present the scenario has changed majorly because of changing consumer behavior. People now use it for scrolling and browsing through products, where they can experiment with brands.”

Ad Formats

In-app banner ads during high‑order windows (e.g. evenings, weekends) perform strongly, especially on Instamart and Blinkit, provided there is aggressive creative rotation to combat “banner blindness”, Khanna noted, adding, “For broader digital and social campaigns, short videos, GIFs, and video carousels on Meta platforms are our top performers, both in terms of engagement and ROI. GIFs, in particular, remain a mainstay for ecommerce creatives due to their lightweight and attention-grabbing format.”

Sponsored search results, especially when users look up items, deliver immediate return because visibility at the exact moment of intent leads to higher conversions, he shares. 

Khanna, “Brands working with Zepto and other quick-commerce advertising platforms have reported high ROI using dynamic ads fed by real-time stock data and regional demand triggers. This format is outperforming static creatives by 40–60%. For social amplification, we’re seeing platforms invest 10–20% of their ad budget in influencer content, with short‑form videos (reels) delivering higher engagement rates depending on brand and context.”

According to Naqvi, Search ads tend to deliver high intent-led conversions especially for impulse categories like snacks, beverages, and beauty. Think of someone searching for “instant noodles” and seeing your masala chips right next to it, the cross-sell happens instantly.

“In-app banners work well for upper-funnel brand nudges, but only when they’re contextual and creatively native. A bright, clean banner for a new skincare brand just above the “personal care” section tends to perform better than a generic one,” Naqvi noted. 

Interestingly, gamified coupons and bundled promotions are punching above their weight. They tap into micro-behaviours like the thrill of unlocking a deal which traditional media often overlooks. Like “Spin the wheel” for a discount on your favourite chocolate, it’s fun, fast, and creates an instant emotional reward, quips Naqvi.

The key isn’t the format—it’s the mindset. Brands that treat Q-comm as a traditional media buy often underperform. The winners craft Q-comm-native creatives with shorter hooks, sharper value, and hyper-local storytelling, he noted.