Blinkit has introduced a ₹2,500 charge for non-emergency ambulance trips to improve availability for critical patients, while genuine emergency services will continue to remain free.
Blinkit has revised its ambulance service policy by introducing a ₹2,500 charge for non-emergency bookings. The decision aims to ensure that fully equipped ambulances and trained medical personnel remain available for patients requiring urgent medical assistance.
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal announced the change, explaining that an increasing number of bookings were being used for routine hospital visits and other non-critical journeys. Emergency ambulance services, however, will continue to be provided free of charge.
The ambulance initiative, operated through the Eternal Foundation, has handled approximately 42,000 cases over the past two years. Around 20,000 of these involved urgent medical emergencies.
However, the company has observed a growing number of bookings for routine medical checkups, hospital appointments and patient discharges. These journeys can generally be managed through regular private transport or ride-hailing services.
According to Goyal, using emergency ambulances for such trips reduces the availability of specialised vehicles for patients facing life-threatening situations.
The newly introduced ₹2,500 fee is intended to discourage unnecessary bookings. Goyal stated that the amount is comparable to standard private ambulance charges in India.
Despite the pricing change, Blinkit will continue providing ambulance services without charge for genuine emergencies.
The company aims to prioritise patients who need immediate medical attention rather than allowing emergency vehicles to remain occupied by routine transportation requests.
Revenue collected through the new non-emergency pricing category will be transferred directly to the Eternal Foundation. The funds will support the expansion and development of the ambulance initiative.
Blinkit is planning to expand its 10-minute ambulance service to major cities across India over the next two to four years. Goyal said Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa and his team are working towards achieving this expansion.
However, finding and training qualified paramedics remains one of the biggest challenges. The company requires medical professionals who have the necessary emergency-care skills and can respond sensitively to patients.
To address this requirement, Blinkit is increasing its efforts through a dedicated training academy. The initiative is expected to help develop a trained workforce capable of supporting the service's nationwide expansion without compromising medical standards.
The planned expansion of Blinkit's ambulance network comes as its parent company, Eternal, formerly known as Zomato, reports strong growth in its September-quarter financial results.
The Gurugram-based company recorded a 92% year-on-year increase in net profit to ₹125 crore for the quarter ended September 30. Its profit stood at ₹65 crore during the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, net profit increased from ₹92 crore reported in the April-June quarter. However, the latest figure was below CNBC-TV18's estimate of ₹250 crore.
Eternal's consolidated adjusted EBITDA rose 197% year-on-year and 20% sequentially to ₹666 crore, indicating improvement in its operating performance.
Revenue from operations increased 78% year-on-year to ₹24,138 crore, compared with ₹13,590 crore in the same quarter last year. It also grew from ₹20,211 crore in the previous quarter.
On a like-for-like basis, revenue growth was 58% year-on-year, taking into account Blinkit's transition to an inventory-ownership model during the previous year.
Alongside revenue growth, Eternal's total quarterly expenses increased 75% to ₹24,166 crore.
The higher expenditure reflects the company's continued investment in expanding its operations and strengthening its business infrastructure.
Blinkit's decision to charge ₹2,500 for non-emergency ambulance bookings aims to protect the availability of emergency medical resources. With critical ambulance services remaining free and expansion plans underway, the company is seeking to balance accessibility, operational efficiency and healthcare quality.