Notes from
the floor.
What we are learning operating Indian commerce, written for the people who have to make the call. No thought-leadership filler.
Zepto Onboarding Fees and OB Fee Deduction, Explained
A plain explainer on what the OB fee is, how onboarding and commission charges work on Zepto, and what the OB fee deduction on your settlement actually means.
June 2026 · 5 min read
How to Sell on Blinkit: A Seller Onboarding Guide
A clear, India-native guide to Blinkit seller onboarding. Eligibility, documents, the registration process, fees structure, dark-store listings, and realistic timelines.
MarketplacesHow to Become a Dmart Supplier: Dmart Vendor Registration Explained
A clear, India-native guide to Dmart vendor registration, the documents you need, and how to approach Avenue Supermarts to sell on Dmart and DMart Ready.
Quick CommerceFlipkart Minutes Seller Registration: How Brands Go Live on Flipkart’s 10-Minute Delivery
A practical guide to Flipkart Minutes seller registration, the documents you need, the onboarding steps, and the realistic timelines to expect.
Quick CommerceFlipkart Minutes Is Eating Instamart’s Share. Onboard Now.
Flipkart Minutes is the fastest-scaling q-commerce player in India, and Instamart's order share is sliding. Here is why brands should onboard early.
Quick CommerceAmazon Is Late to India’s Quick-Commerce Race. Can It Catch Up?
Amazon owns Indian e-commerce. In quick commerce it is almost last, behind Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart and Flipkart Minutes. An operator's verdict.
Quick CommerceZepto vs Blinkit vs Instamart: Which Platform to Launch First in India
Launching on all three quick-commerce apps at once is a land grab that drains cash. Sequence by category fit, city density, and onboarding economics instead.
BrandWhatsApp as a Retention Channel for Indian eCommerce, Done Right
WhatsApp in India is a retention and service channel, not a spam blaster. With Meta's per-message pricing, opt-in, utility-first messaging pays in margin too.
GrowthRetention Cohorts: The Only Growth Metric That Survives a Budget Cut
When ad spend tightens, repeat-purchase cohorts are what keep revenue alive. Brands that never built retention learn they were only renting growth.
Quick CommerceThe Real Unit Economics of Quick Commerce After Platform Fees and Returns
Quick commerce GMV looks great until you net out commission, fulfilment, and ad take-rate. Here is the true per-order P&L and where it breaks even.
Operations LogisticsPruning Slow Movers: An Assortment Discipline for Quick Commerce SKUs
A bloated SKU count on quick commerce hurts fill rate and dilutes hero velocity. With dark store space rationed and fees rising, the discipline is subtraction.
India PlaybookMarketplace vs D2C: The Margin Tradeoff Indian Brands Get Wrong
Brands chase D2C for margin and marketplaces for volume, then optimize neither. The right channel mix is a margin-versus-discovery tradeoff, not ideology.
India's Commerce Engine