Maharashtra FDA Suspends Licences of 14 Dark Stores Of Blinkit, Zepto & Instamart

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reportedly suspended the licences of 14 “food business establishments” linked to quick commerce platforms Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart.

As per news agency PTI, the licences were suspended after a state-wide inspection drive uncovered widespread food safety and hygiene violations at multiple dark stores. 

In total, the Maharashtra FDA reportedly inspected 86 dark stores selling and delivering food through online platforms. Five establishments, each of Zepto and Blinkit, and two others linked to Swiggy Instamart had their licences suspended. 

In addition to the 14 licence suspensions, the regulator also issued 60 improvement notices and ordered the temporary stoppage of operations at one facility. 

The clampdown comes as Maharashtra FDA has tightened its noose around quick commerce platforms and eateries across the state. Earlier this week, the licence of a Blinkit facility in Mumbai’s Malad West was suspended after officials discovered an extensive cockroach infestation and several other food-safety violations during an inspection. 

A day later, Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department also sealed a major Zepto warehouse in Bengaluru’s Hoskote. The department also flagged unhygienic conditions and food safety violations at the facility. 

However, this is not the first time that these platforms have come under scrutiny. Maharashtra authorities had raided Zepto and Blinkit’s dark stores last year, while Telangana officials had also raided a Blinkit warehouse in 2024. 

As if this was not enough, the government informed the Parliament yesterday that more than 5.1 Lakh complaints were registered against ecommerce and quick commerce platforms on the National Consumer Helpline in 2025. Of this, 5,774 complaints were registered against Zepto, while Blinkit clocked 5,102 complaints.

The crackdown comes as quick commerce giants continue to aggressively expand their dark store networks. As of June 2026, Blinkit operated 2,443 active dark stores across 300 cities, while Swiggy Instamart’s network comprised 1,171 dark stores across 131 cities. Meanwhile, Zepto had 1,139 dark stores across 66 cities at the end of March 2026.

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