Eternal Pumps ₹600 Crore into Blinkit as Quick-Commerce Race Intensifies

Eternal has injected ₹600 crore (about $68 million) into its quick-commerce arm Blinkit, ET reported. The cash support comes as the grocery-delivery platform scales up dark stores and absorbs heavy expansion costs.

Eternal’s fresh infusion reportedly brings its total funding into Blinkit to ₹2,600 crore so far this year, following ₹1,500 crore in February and ₹500 crore in January. It is intended to help Blinkit cover operating losses, working capital needs and capital expenditure tied to network expansion, an Eternal spokesperson told reporters.

Aggressive Buildout, Rising Losses

Blinkit is rapidly expanding its micro-warehouse footprint. The company reportedly plans to operate 3,000 dark stores by March 2027 and reported 1,816 dark stores as of September 30. The roll-out is capital-intensive and Blinkit continues to post losses while it prioritises growth and affordability. For the July–September quarter the platform reported operating losses of ₹156 crore, a sequential improvement but a sharp rise from ₹8 crore in the same period a year earlier.

Blinkit’s management has reportedly framed the losses as a deliberate trade-off for “high-quality sustainable growth.” CEO Albinder Dhindsa told ET, the company will absorb short-term margin pressure to invest in faster store rollouts, competitive pricing and customer acquisition, while relying on Eternal’s balance sheet to fund the plan.

Eternal Backing

Eternal’s multiple capital injections this year underscore its commitment to Blinkit’s long-term play in India’s contested quick-commerce market. The parent firm reportedly holds more than ₹18,000 crore in cash, giving it scope to finance Blinkit’s expansion even as the unit works toward improved operating efficiency.

Blinkit’s funding move comes amid heightened activity in the quick-commerce space. Rival Zepto recently closed a $450 million financing round and has pushed its own customer incentives, prompting incumbents to respond. Swiggy, operator of Instamart, is seeking to raise ₹10,000 crore via a qualified institutional placement, signalling how intensely players are bulk-funding growth initiatives and logistics scale. Separately, BigBasket’s B2C arm raised ₹200 crore in debt from DBS to shore up dark-store capacity.

The fresh capital eases immediate liquidity pressures, allowing Blinkit to continue aggressive store launches and to sustain competitive pricing and promotional activity through the holiday season and into 2026.