Zomato’s quick commerce arm, Blinkit, is stepping up its commitment to healthcare innovation by significantly expanding its 10-minute ambulance service in Gurugram.
The service, launched in January 2025, now operates 12 ambulances from six depots, covering nearly half of the city, according to Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal.
Taking to social media platform X, Goyal explained the company’s vision: “What if emergency help could reach you in 10 minutes, just like groceries?”
Since its launch, the Blinkit ambulance service has responded to 594 calls, with 50% being critical cases. Notably, 83% of these emergencies were attended to within 10 minutes, showcasing the effectiveness of the model.
Despite the speed and availability, a behavioral issue persists. “We discovered how hesitant people still are to call an ambulance, even in critical moments. Many prefer personal cars or cabs, afraid help won’t arrive on time,” Goyal noted.
A critical issue identified through the initiative is the shortage of skilled paramedics. To address this, Goyal revealed that Blinkit is developing an in-house paramedic training program to "raise the bar of emergency care in India." This move aims to provide consistent and high-quality pre-hospital care, a sector long underserved in India’s healthcare ecosystem.
To further enhance the offering, Goyal invited the public to share their experiences:
“Has Blinkit Ambulances helped you, or your near and dear ones? We would love to hear your story — it will serve as fuel for us and the Ambulances team to keep going.”
At the time of the service launch, Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa stated:
“Ambulance in 10 minutes. We are taking our first step towards solving the problem of providing quick and reliable ambulance service in our cities.”
Blinkit’s venture into on-demand emergency care marks a shift in how urban Indians might access life-saving services — instantly and affordably.
While Blinkit's model is innovative, it also highlights the broader issue of ambulance availability in India. According to National Health Mission (NHM) data as of December 2023, India had only:
17,495 operational Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances
3,441 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances
The situation is worse in northeastern states, where ALS-equipped ambulances are especially scarce. This makes private innovations like Blinkit’s model increasingly significant, especially in urban areas where time is critical.
The market seems to have taken note of this social innovation. Shares of Eternal Ltd (Zomato) were trading at Rs 311.209.20, up by 3.05%, around 2:50 PM on Thursday.
Blinkit’s 10-minute ambulance initiative is more than a technological experiment—it’s a timely intervention in India’s overstretched emergency care infrastructure. With half of Gurugram already covered, and the majority of emergencies being handled within 10 minutes, the service shows promise. Plans to launch an in-house paramedic training program indicate Blinkit's serious investment in scaling quality healthcare support.
As citizens begin to trust and adopt the service, such models could act as blueprints for rapid-response medical services across other Indian cities. In a nation where accessibility and timeliness can be the difference between life and death, Blinkit’s move might just be the lifeline India needed.