Getting shampoo and chips delivered in 10 minutes sounds impressive — but is it actually useful? That's the blunt question Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia is asking. After bumping into an Indian at a recent event who excitedly pitched ultra-fast delivery as a transformative trend, Bhatia came away unconvinced and posted his candid thoughts on social media.

With Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart fiercely competing to slash delivery times, Bhatia's voice adds a rare note of caution from someone who has seen real disruption up close. So, what exactly did he say — and does he have a point?

"I was at a conference, and an Indian uncle came up to me proudly extolling 10-minute delivery as an example of Indian innovation. I didn't have the heart to tell him that delivering shampoo and chips faster is logistics optimisation — not innovation. Innovation is creating things the world has never seen before," the Hotmail founder wrote. 

His post has since triggered a broader debate about the direction of the 10-minute delivery system in India and whether convenience-driven businesses deserve the hype and investment they're getting.

"Challenge uncles to deliver the patient/accident victim to the hospital within half an hour. That would at least be something commendable and useful," a user wrote. 

A second user commented, "Delivery faster generates employment. They deliver everything except electronic items." 

A third user said, "Oh, sorry, I forgot - real innovation only counts if it comes with a Steve Jobs turtleneck. Meanwhile, India just rewired urban logistics for 150+ cities. But sure, 'faster chips'."

"Yup! Endangering the lives of delivery personnel who zip pass dangerously with us, stunned drivers is certainly not an innovation but an exploitation of unemployed youth. What heavens will fall if pizza is delivered in 20-30 minutes of ordering? We will just order a little earlier," a fourth user commented. 

Published on: May 10, 2026 9:30 AM IST