The report says that frozen ready-to-cook is now an established category on quick commerce, estimated at around USD 375 million
Led by growing demand for speed, convenience and high-frequency consumption, quick commerce’s share in India’s food fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market is expected to scale from USD 4 billion today to more than USD 27 to 29 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) by 2030.
A report by Redseer noted that the channel’s share in the packaged food and beverages (F&B) market is expected to rise from about 4 per cent today to nearly 15 to 20 per cent by 2030. Overall market is expected to grow from USD 103 billion to USD 151 to 158 billion (8 to 9 per cent compound annual growth rate), with QC growing around nine times faster than other channels.
As of Calendar Year 2026 (CY26) estimates, the report said that India’s quick commerce market has over 50 million average monthly transacting users spread across over 250 cities, where top eight metros contribute to around 70 to 75 per cent.
“Quick commerce is emerging as a structural force in the packaged food and beverages market, driven by its ability to capture demand at the point of intent. What was once seen primarily as a distribution channel is now starting to shape category strategy, innovation priorities, and investment decisions across the ecosystem. For brands, operators, and investors, this marks a fundamental shift in how growth will increasingly be built and realised,” highlighted Mrigank Gutgutia, Partner, Redseer Strategy Consultants.
The Rise Of Ready-to-cook (RTC)
Smaller households and time constraints are pushing consumers towards solutions that are easy to prepare and portion-controlled. The rise in appliance ownership, including microwaves and air fryers, has further improved usability. Frozen RTC is now an established category on QC, estimated at around USD 375 million, with frozen veg snacks and peas contributing to around 40 per cent. Chilled segments such as batters, at roughly USD 400 million, have seen deeper penetration given their shorter shelf life and higher frequency of purchase.
“Categories such as ready-to-cook, functional beverages, and chocolates are responding differently because the underlying need states are different. The brands that win here will be the ones that understand these micro-moments and build for frequency, not just scale,” emphasised Kushal Bhatnagar, Associate Partner, Redseer Strategy Consultants.
An earlier report by Redseer revealed that around 50 million consumers were addressable in India’s ready-to-eat/ready-to-heat segment prior to quick commerce growth, which has likely now expanded to 70 to 80 million. However, the market is still evolving and nascent. Within the addressable consumers, less than 15 per cent were regularly using RTE/RTH.
On question regarding profitability in these categories and if brands are sacrificing margins to drive adoption, Bhatnagar explained, “In the current state, the brands are spending a lot on marketing and media spends on these quick commerce platforms. You will see the current media spends on the higher side, but profitability would vary across brands because it all goes back to what kind of sourcing, procurement, margin profile have you created for your brand to actually make this happen.”
Health As A Growth Driver
Health is emerging as another strong lever of growth, particularly in the beverages space. Functional drinks, protein-infused beverages, and categories such as packaged coconut water are gaining traction. Quick commerce is playing a role in enabling trial and repeat.
The report showed that the non-alcoholic ready to drink (NARTD) market is estimated to reach USD 40 billion by 2030 from USD 20 billion in 2025. Quick commerce, which accounted for USD 0.5 billion of the stated market in 2025, is expected to reach USD 3 billion by 2030.
India’s per capita consumption in non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages remains below global benchmarks, which leaves considerable headroom for growth. While annual NARTD beverage consumption per capita stands at 100 to 120 litre in the United States of America and 70 to 80 litre in China, India lags behind with just 15 to 20 litre.
The core growth in India in the beverages category would be driven by better-for-you and functional beverages. Even within coconut water, while fresh consumption continues to dominate, packaged formats are expanding, with over 20 per cent of sales already coming through quick commerce.
The Case For Indulgence
Indulgence is evolving as well, particularly in chocolates. 50 per cent of the incremental growth in the category between 2024 and 2025 has come from quick commerce and 10 per cent of all chocolates sold in India were through quick commerce.
Around 20 per cent of online chocolate GMV is generated post 9 PM, making late night a structurally important consumption window. These purchases are largely impulse-driven and linked to self-reward occasions. Higher average selling prices (ASPs) during these time windows indicate a lower sensitivity to price in such moments, the report explained.
Evolving Consumption Habits
With gen z focusing on protein power and millennials focusing on clean labels and holistic nutrition, India’s over USD 100 billion packaged food and beverages market is seeing meaningful changes in consumption habits.
The report pointed out that four out of five gen z see protein as essential, with 57.8 per cent recognising non-animal sources. Two out of five gen z engaging in physical exercise prefer to consume alternate sources of protein. This has resulted in around 230 per cent growth in stock keeping unit (SKU) assortment of protein supplements on quick commerce (January 2024 to January 2025).
One-third of millennial women are now consuming supplementary protein for better health and conditioning in addition to muscle building. Nearly two out of five millennials always read food labels for sugar content as part of mindful eating. The report added that two out of three millennials are willing to pay around 15 per cent premium for cleaner RTC/RTE products.
Non-metros are joining the party as well, with report showing that eight out of ten households have increased protein consumption with paneer being most preferred. Five out of ten households have also introduced new protein sources like soya chunks, sprouts, and seeds at least once a week each into their diet.
As quick commerce continues to scale and consumer preferences continue to evolve, the packaged F&B market is likely to see steady shifts in both category mix and channel share. Growth from here will be closely tied to how well brands align with these emerging consumption patterns.
