e-commerce
Zepto gets to the root of fresh supply with farmer-first new playbook
MUMBAI: From mandi mayhem to farm-fresh flair, Zepto’s shaking up the supply chain. Zepto co-founder and CEO Aadit Palicha has revealed how the quick commerce player is rewriting the rules of India’s fragmented fresh produce market, one collection centre at a time. In a detailed post, he shared how the startup has quietly scaled its fresh category by 4x in just 12 months, leaping from 6.4 lakh to 22.1 lakh units sold per day.
What’s behind this massive growth spurt? A shift away from the traditional mandi-led chaos to a tech-powered, decentralised model built on trust with farmers and rapid movement of goods. Zepto now sources directly from thousands of farmers across 70-plus Collection Centres hyperlocal hubs where fruits and vegetables are graded, packed, and dispatched within 12 hours of harvest.
A key weapon in Zepto’s fresh arsenal is the Bloom app, the startup’s proprietary sourcing platform that turns real-time mandi price tracking, vendor scoring, and dynamic procurement into a science. The result? Better price visibility for farmers, automated planning for Zepto, and a win-win loop that cuts out intermediaries and reduces waste.
This model isn’t just about speed, it’s also about dignity and predictability. “For the first time, Indian farmers are becoming part of a demand-driven, digital-first ecosystem,” Palicha noted. Through Bloom, they gain access to live market benchmarks, input support, and assured offtake features unheard of in India’s informal agri-supply chains.
Even last-mile delivery hasn’t been spared a makeover. Zepto has invested in smart handling systems that preserve freshness while slashing delivery timelines. Combined with direct relationships with farmers, this allows the company to keep quality high and prices sharp, something traditional retail has long struggled with.
In a sector long marred by price volatility and perishability, Zepto’s fresh strategy is a rare blend of logistics, localisation, and digital insight. The real disruptor here isn’t just tech, it’s trust.
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.
