# Start Ups

By [DYLIT Media Buzz](https://dylit.info/user/dylitmediabuzz)

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D2C Startups Turn to Quick Commerce Platforms for Festival Launches Qcom Becomes a Launchpad, Not Just a Delivery Channel Direct-to-consumer (D2C) startups across food, beverages, fashion, electronics and lifestyle categories are increasingly picking quick commerce (qcom) apps — Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart and Amazon Now among them — as the first stage for new product launches, rather than treating them as a fast-delivery add-on. With the festive season stretching from August through December, brands are leaning on these platforms' hyperlocal reach and impulse-driven traffic to introduce new SKUs, test consumer response and build early demand signals before scaling to marketplaces and their own websites. Industry watchers describe this as a structural shift: qcom is turning into a discovery-and-launch engine precisely because festive shoppers browse these apps for last-minute gifting, home entertaining and celebration needs. Food and Beverage Brands Lead the Rush Food and beverage startups sit at the centre of this trend. Distributor Leads Brand Connect is targeting roughly ₹100–150 crore in sales from quick commerce this financial year, rolling out its ready-to-cook brand across avocado, veggie and quinoa patties through August–October. Frozen-meat brand Zappfresh, live on Blinkit and Amazon Now for barely a month, expects qcom to lift its D2C revenue run-rate by 25–30 percent, timing marinade launches to festive entertaining. Beverage brand Borécha is using Swiggy Instamart to debut a zero-sugar probiotic soda before expanding to Blinkit, Zepto and BigBasket, while dessert brand 1.5 Degree is timing its very first qcom listing — a festive kulfi — to the gifting season on Zepto. Kids'-food brand Gladful, meanwhile, has built four new gifting boxes around Rakhi and family celebrations exclusively for the channel. Fashion, Electronics and Home Brands Join In The shift isn't confined to food. Women's essentials brand Pinq Polka is widening its Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart assortment into innerwear and shapewear ahead of the wedding-and-festive calendar, betting that qcom's speed suits impulse wardrobe fixes. Electronics startup SnapUp is entering the party-speaker and smartwatch category on Myntra Now just ahead of Raksha Bandhan, arguing that festive shopping has become spontaneous and gift-led. Kitchenware brand Cumin Co. is using Zepto to introduce two entirely new lines — food-storage containers and its first knife collection — showing how qcom now doubles as a category-expansion testbed rather than a channel reserved for snacks and groceries. The Economics: Why Festivals and Qcom Fit Together The appeal rests on scale and timing. India's quick commerce GMV is running near ₹11,000 crore a month, and platforms have rolled out dedicated in-app festival sections along with advertising packages that bundle SKU onboarding with sponsored visibility. Founders report festive demand spikes of 10–30 percent, aided by platform-led promotions. But the channel isn't free money: commissions of 15–28 percent, strict fill-rate and shelf-life norms, and fierce competition for dark-store space mean brands treating a festive listing as a one-off stunt, rather than a sustained distribution bet, can see margins erode quickly once the season ends. Outlook For most of these startups, a festive listing is a foot in the door rather than the end goal — a way to prove demand on Blinkit or Zepto before pushing into BigBasket, Amazon, Flipkart and physical retail. If this wave holds, quick commerce looks set to become a permanent slot in the D2C playbook: the place where new products meet their first real customers, festival after festival.   Sources D2C startups turn to qcom platforms for festive launches — Business Standard: https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/d2c-startups-turn-to-qcom-platforms-for-festive-launches-126081101635_1.html Inside Dark Store Festive Stock-Up Strategy — Inc42: https://inc42.com/features/inside-dark-store-festive-stock-up-strategy/ Quick Commerce & India's Micro Festival Boom — Inc42: https://inc42.com/features/quick-commerce-indias-micro-festival-boom/ Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart Turn Into D2C Ad Hotspots in Festive Season — Inc42: h ttps://inc42.com/features/blinkit-zepto-instamart-d2c-ad-strategy-festive-season/ Related YouTube Videos Quick Commerce Joins Diwali Party as Businesses Record Massive Festive Sales — CNBC-TV18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alc1EFA2kUw From Diyas to Gadgets in Minutes: How Quick Commerce Is Winning Festive India — CNBC-TV18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHfE6b_ovi8 D2C Brands Rushing to List on Q-Comm & E-comm Ahead of Festival Season Sales: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptazU3VYT_Y Is Quick Commerce Worth It for Your D2C Brand?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSkwzC1HE0Y