Blinkit, the quick commerce company owned by Zomato has been making waves for its 10-min delivery across the country. The company has also been opening dark stores for delivery, beyond the top metro cities into the hinterland of India over the last few months.
To capitalise on the biggest spiritual congregation that is the Maha Kumbh Mela happening at Prayagraj currently, Blinkit has opened a temporary store amidst the hustle and bustle of the temple town..
Over 45 crore people are expected to be in the holy city during the next 45 days and several hundred brands are lining up to make their presence felt at the Kumbh.
Albinder Dhindsa, Founder and CEO, Blinkit shared on his Linkedin post, “Today we’ve opened a temporary Blinkit store in Maha Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj to serve pilgrims and tourists”.
“This one is a 100 sq ft store which will be delivering in Arail Tent City, Dome City, ITDC Luxury Camp, Devrakh, and other key areas of the Maha Kumbh Mela.”.
The last time brands queued up was during the consecration of the newly constructed temple in honour of Lord Ram at Ayodhya which opened its doors on 22 Jan. ‘24.
“Our teams are ready to deliver specially curated assortment like pooja needs, milk, curd, fruits & vegetables (for self consumption as well as for daan), chargers, power banks, towels, blankets, bedsheets and more. We’ve also got Triveni Sangam Jal bottles in stock”, added Albinder.
Editor’s Note
Blinkit has been a pioneer in the Q-commerce business over the past few years. Originally started as Grofers and serving online grocery and household items for the first few years, the startup was on the verge of a shutdown when Zomato gave a lifeline to the company.
Zomato has invested INR 2,800 Cr in Blinkit ever since it acquired the company in Aug. ‘22. The Founders of Zomato and Blinkit are related through their respective wives.
Blinkit has till date raised INR 6,000 Cr (USD 784 Mn) from several investors including Zomato over 14 rounds.
The company had a revenue INR 1,156 Cr for Q2 FY 23-24. and is estimated to be having an Annual Revenue Rate (ARR) of INR 24,500 Cr (USD 3 Bn).
Events such as the Maha Kumbh Mela which happen once every 12 years at Prayagraj are a spectacle to watch, when several crores of devotees descend to the holy city to offer their obeisance and heartfelt prayers.
And brands alluring discerning pilgrims (read: customers) is an interesting opportunity to not just tap into a potential revenue opportunity but also to build sustainable and long term brand visibility.
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