Maharashtra FDA Suspends Licenses of 14 Dark Stores for Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the operating licenses for 14 "food business establishments" associated with quick commerce platforms Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart. The suspensions were issued after a state-wide inspection drive revealed significant food safety and hygiene violations across multiple "dark stores".

During the inspections, the FDA examined a total of 86 dark stores that sell and deliver food via online platforms. The licenses of five establishments each from Zepto and Blinkit, along with two linked to Swiggy Instamart, were suspended. The regulator also issued 60 improvement notices and ordered the temporary cessation of operations at one facility.

This regulatory action comes as the Maharashtra FDA intensifies its scrutiny of quick commerce platforms and eateries throughout the state. Earlier in the week, a Blinkit facility's license in Mumbai was suspended due to a severe cockroach infestation and other food safety breaches. In a separate incident, authorities in Karnataka sealed a major Zepto warehouse in Bengaluru over unsanitary conditions.

These platforms have faced scrutiny before. Last year, authorities raided dark stores operated by Zepto and Blinkit. Data released by the government indicated that over 510,000 complaints were registered against e-commerce and quick commerce platforms nationally in 2025.

The quick commerce sector continues its rapid expansion of dark store networks. As of June 2026, Blinkit operated 2,443 dark stores across 300 cities, Swiggy Instamart had 1,171 stores in 131 cities, and Zepto maintained 1,139 stores in 66 cities.