Maharashtra Tightens Food Safety Checks on Quick-Commerce Warehouses

Maharashtra has stepped up scrutiny of India’s rapidly expanding quick-commerce industry after state food safety officials found a series of hygiene and storage problems at warehouses operated by three of the country’s biggest delivery platforms.

The state’s Food and Drug Administration has suspended permits for 12 warehouses linked to Eternal’s Blinkit, Swiggy’s Instamart and Zepto. The action followed inspections that uncovered conditions including cockroach infestations, rotten vegetables, rodent droppings and concerns about how food products were being stored and handled.

The crackdown is being led by Maharashtra food safety chief Tukaram Mundhe, who has taken a notably aggressive approach toward hygiene standards in restaurants and food businesses since taking charge. His department has also targeted well-known eateries, bringing renewed attention to the enforcement of food safety rules in the state.

86 establishments inspected

According to the Maharashtra FDA, officials inspected 86 establishments as part of the wider campaign. Sixty of those facilities were issued improvement notices, while the permits of 12 quick-commerce warehouses were suspended.

Five of the suspended warehouses belonged to Blinkit, another five were operated by Zepto and two were associated with Swiggy Instamart. The findings have put the spotlight on facilities that form an important part of the quick-commerce model, where groceries and other everyday products are stored close to customers to enable rapid delivery.

At one Blinkit storage facility, inspectors reported finding cockroaches along with spoiled vegetables. Other inspections identified rodent droppings and generally unhygienic conditions. Photographs released by the state FDA also showed dirty and rusted storage racks, with cockroaches visible around food products.

The department said it was also concerned about practices that could increase the risk of contamination. At a Zepto warehouse in Nashik, delivery workers were reportedly entering storage areas while wearing footwear normally used outdoors. Officials said such practices could create a cross-contamination risk.

Quick-commerce industry under scrutiny

The action comes as quick commerce continues to play a growing role in urban grocery shopping in India. Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto operate extensive networks of local delivery facilities, allowing consumers to order groceries and other daily necessities through mobile applications.

According to data cited by Reuters from Datum Intelligence, Swiggy and Zepto each have around 1,100 delivery outlets across India, while Blinkit operates about 2,200. The scale of these networks means that maintaining consistent hygiene standards across numerous facilities is a significant operational challenge.

The Maharashtra inspections highlight that food safety concerns are not limited to restaurants. Storage facilities that handle fresh produce and other consumable products are also subject to scrutiny, particularly when poor sanitation or unsuitable handling conditions could affect the products eventually delivered to consumers.

Wider food safety campaign

Mundhe’s actions against quick-commerce warehouses form part of a broader food safety drive in Maharashtra. Earlier in the week, his department closed four Domino’s outlets over hygiene-related concerns. The move followed other inspections involving popular food establishments in Mumbai.

The campaign has attracted considerable attention on social media, in part because food contamination and hygiene problems are frequently reported in India’s local food sector. The latest enforcement actions have also raised questions about how consistently food safety requirements have been implemented in the past.

Mundhe has warned that the state will take stronger action when businesses fail to maintain safe food preparation or storage conditions. His department’s latest inspections suggest that the authorities intend to apply that approach beyond conventional restaurants and toward newer food distribution models as well.

Companies face pressure to address concerns

The suspended permits affect facilities operated by three major players in a highly competitive sector. Swiggy and Eternal declined to comment on the action, while Zepto did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.

For quick-commerce companies, warehouses are central to their promise of delivering products within minutes. Any disruption at these facilities could therefore create operational challenges, while the findings may increase pressure on companies to strengthen sanitation checks, storage procedures and employee practices.

The Maharashtra action also sends a broader message to the rapidly evolving grocery-delivery industry: speed cannot come at the expense of food safety. As quick commerce expands its physical network, regulators are increasingly examining not only how quickly products reach consumers, but also the conditions in which those products are stored before delivery.

With inspections continuing under the state’s intensified enforcement campaign, the sector is likely to face closer scrutiny over warehouse hygiene and food-handling practices. For consumers, the developments underline the importance of food safety standards at every stage of the supply chain, from storage facilities to the doorstep.