Previously, purchasing the latest iPhone on the day of sales launch required either standing in multi-hour queues or waiting for delivery over several days. This situation is changing as e-commerce and express delivery companies in India are turning speed into a competitive advantage. They are betting on the growing desire of customers to receive goods—from groceries and personal hygiene products to expensive electronics—directly at home within minutes.
On Friday, when sales of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max began at 8 am, Bigbasket managed to deliver over 300 devices by 9 am, equivalent to more than five phones per minute. This shift marked the beginning of a new type of race on launch day: now, the winner is not the one who queued first, but the one who acquired the device first.
Bigbasket reported that customers ordered devices from home and received them before morning, which is a paradigm shift from queuing to first ownership of the product. These devices were sold through the Bigbasket Electronics Store, which operates with the support of Croma. The company emphasized that Croma provides assortment, category expertise, and consumer trust, while Bigbasket is responsible for order fulfillment and the last-mile network, enabling the fast delivery of the new product on the launch day.
Availability on launch day included the iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB, iPhone 18 Pro 256GB, and AirPods 5 ANC with charging case. This launch strengthens Bigbasket's position in the premium electronics segment, where ensuring high delivery speed was previously more difficult. The main idea is simplicity: when a major product launches, Bigbasket strives to deliver it as quickly as possible.
Indian e-commerce giants are banking on speed to succeed in the upcoming festive season. Online sales during the holidays are projected to grow by 29 percent this year, reaching a volume of up to ₹1,55,000 crore ($17.6 billion USD) compared to ₹1,20,000 crore in 2025, according to Datum Intelligence. This is because customers increasingly expect groceries, electronics, and personal hygiene products to be delivered within minutes.
Express delivery, promising minute-by-minute delivery, is expected to account for about 16 percent of total sales, up from 12 percent last year. Companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart are expanding their delivery networks in second and third-tier cities ahead of the biggest consumption events of the season. Flipkart is expanding its logistics network to meet demand before the Big Billion Days event in October. Its Flipkart Minutes express delivery service now operates in nearly 1200 order fulfillment micro-centers across more than 150 cities. In the last year, the business of the service has quadrupled since its launch in August 2024. The largest order on the platform to date amounted to ₹6 lakh and included five smartphones. Gen Z consumers have also become the fastest-growing customer group in Flipkart Minutes, with their base increasing almost fivefold in the last 12 months. Generation Z generates over 45 percent of orders in categories such as beauty, electronics, and games.
Amazon is also preparing for the Great Indian Festival sale next month, and express delivery is expected to play a key role in this. The company stated that its Amazon Now ultra-fast delivery service reached an annual revenue of $1 billion USD in India in the last three months. Orders through Amazon Now are doubling every quarter since launch, making it the fastest-growing business in Amazon India's history.
Meanwhile, retailer Vijay Sales announced that it has prepared to receive the latest line of Apple products, with sales starting at 8 am on September 18, 2026, in its stores and online platform. Customers will be able to purchase the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5 from the first morning of availability. These devices will be available through the Vijay Sales retail network as well as its online platform, giving buyers the choice of how to make a purchase.
Nilesh Gupta, Director of Vijay Sales, noted: 'Apple product launches consistently generate strong consumer interest, and we are pleased to make the latest lineup available to our customers from the very first morning of sales. Our focus is on providing a seamless experience for customers both in our stores and on the online platform, whether they are exploring the latest features or making their next upgrade. We look forward to welcoming customers as they experience the newest Apple devices.'