e-commerce
Instamart shifts gears on road safety with QR alerts and free vehicle checks
MUMBAI: When speed meets safety, the road ahead looks a little clearer. To mark National Road Safety Month (1–31, January 2026) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan 2026, Instamart has rolled out a fresh set of on-road safety measures aimed at protecting its delivery partners and improving emergency preparedness.
At the centre of the initiative is a partnership with Vecrep, introducing a two-part programme that combines rapid emergency response with preventive vehicle care. The first pillar is ResQTag, a QR- and NFC-enabled safety solution that allows delivery partners to instantly trigger verified alerts during accidents, breakdowns or roadside emergencies. The system notifies registered emergency contacts without revealing personal phone numbers, prioritising both speed and privacy when seconds matter.
Alongside emergency response, Instamart is offering free safety inspections for delivery partners through Vecrep’s network of verified garages. The inspections provide priority servicing and preventive maintenance support, helping reduce breakdown-related downtime and improving overall rider confidence. The pilot is currently live across Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Mohali, Zirakpur, Panchkula, Kharar and Dehradun.
Instamart said the initiative is designed to translate road safety awareness into practical, everyday protection. By pairing real-time emergency tools with on-ground vehicle care, the company aims to strengthen preparedness rather than react only after incidents occur.
The programme builds on the broader Swiggy Delivering Safely charter, a nationwide road safety effort focused on responsible riding and risk reduction. In 2025, Swiggy conducted more than 22 structured road safety training and awareness workshops in collaboration with city traffic police departments, alongside rallies, safety pledges and helmet distribution drives.
These new measures also add to Swiggy’s existing safety protocols, which include an in-app SOS button connecting delivery partners to helplines, local police or hospitals. In 2023, the platform became the first in the delivery sector to introduce free ambulance services for delivery partners.
Today, Swiggy supports over 6.9 lakh delivery partners across India, offering benefits such as accident insurance, medical coverage, income support during recovery from illness or injury, and bereavement leave. With the latest Instamart-led rollout, the company is signalling that faster deliveries do not have to come at the cost of safer roads and that protecting the people behind the wheel remains a priority, not an afterthought.
e-commerce
Instamart and Duolingo launch street spell check campaign for Instaprint
Duo the owl fixes signboard typos across cities to showcase instant printing.
MUMBAI: If spelling mistakes had a sworn enemy, it might just be a bright green owl with a printer. Instamart has teamed up with language learning platform Duolingo for a quirky nationwide campaign that turns everyday spelling errors into a public spectacle while promoting its instant printing service, InstaPrint. The playful activation takes aim at the many misspelled shop boards and public signs scattered across Indian streets. From “saloons” that promise haircuts rather than drinks to menus and posters peppered with punctuation mishaps, the campaign sends Duolingo’s mascot Duo on a mission to restore linguistic order.
Armed with Instamart’s instant printing feature, Duo prints corrected versions of the mistakes on the spot and pastes them over the originals. The result is a series of humorous street interventions that have quickly begun circulating on social media.
Photos and videos of the grammar correcting owl have been widely shared online, with amused users reacting to the unexpected spell check patrol. One user joked, “Ab ayega na maza bhidu,” capturing the internet’s delight at the unusual campaign.
Behind the humour lies a practical message. The activation is designed to showcase the capabilities of Instaprint, Instamart’s printing service that allows users to print documents and posters almost instantly.
The company says the feature is meant for everyday needs such as printing resumes, visa documents or last minute posters without the usual scramble to locate a print shop.
Instamart introduced Instaprint in 2025 across select metropolitan cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. The service allows users to order printed materials directly through the platform, extending the quick commerce model beyond groceries and household essentials.
By combining Duolingo’s famously persistent owl with India’s street level spelling quirks, the campaign taps into the internet’s long running fascination with grammar mistakes while demonstrating a real world use case for instant printing.
After all, in a world full of typos, sometimes what you really need is a quick printer and a very determined language teacher.
