Blinkit 10-minute ambulance service: Goyal advises legal compliance   

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said quick-commerce companies like Blinkit, which is launching a 10-minute ambulance service, must make sure that they meet the law of the land.

Blinkit on Thursday launched a 10-minute ambulance service in select areas of Gurugram as a pilot project.

Users will be able to see the option to call for an ambulance on the Blinkit app, according to a company statement.

“As regards Blinkit doing ambulance services or medicines being delivered, my only submission would be that they have to make sure that they meet the law of the land and whatever the legal requirements should be properly taken care of. No laws of the land should be broken,” Goyal told reporters when asked about the company’s decision.

Asked about issues raised by small retailers about quick-commerce or e-commerce firms, he said the government is monitoring that and the CCI (Competition Commission of India) has already taken actions in some cases and wherever they found anti-competitive practices.

“As far as I know, investigative actions have also been taken on some companies, who have violated laws and misused them,” he said.

Replying to a question about a sharp dip in valuations of certain unicorn startups, Goyal said there are very few such cases.

“We have been monitoring, but we did not find too many cases,” he said.