The Korean food boom is significantly boosting Blinkit's premium grocery strategy, with global food companies increasingly viewing India's quick-commerce ecosystem as a key channel for building consumer brands. Nongshim, the South Korean food giant famous for its Shin Ramyun noodles, recently chose India to launch its Kimchi Stir Fry variant exclusively on Blinkit, skipping traditional supermarkets altogether. This strategic move demonstrates how global food companies are recognizing quick commerce as one of the fastest paths to market penetration in India. The trend extends beyond noodles, with brands like Samyang, Bibigo, Ottogi, Sempio, and Jongga becoming increasingly common, while retailers such as Korikart and Seoul Store have built entire businesses around Korean products. As per multiple reports, this represents the birth of an entirely new food category, with Korean sauces, frozen dumplings, snacks, beverages, and ready-to-cook meals all experiencing stronger demand.
Blinkit has launched a premium grocery offering called Gourmet in select pincodes of Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Mumbai, as the Eternal-owned quick commerce company looks to tap demand for high-end food and grocery products while increasing order values and improving margins. According to reports from Mint, the service offers premium products such as artisanal cheeses and breads, and ozone-washed fruits and vegetables. The latest developments show that this premium positioning is particularly well-aligned with the Korean food trend, as global brands are increasingly targeting quick commerce platforms for premium product launches. The company's strategy of servicing premium products through dedicated infrastructure and exclusive brand partnerships is proving effective in capturing the growing demand for authentic Korean and other premium food categories.
Gourmet is being serviced through a separate network of around five dedicated dark stores, with two each in Delhi and Bengaluru, and one in Mumbai. As reported by Mint, the Gourmet dark stores are smaller than Blinkit's regular facilities and have been designed exclusively to stock and service premium products. The company currently operates five such stores as it tests the format, with each facility specifically designed for premium product handling and storage requirements. This dedicated infrastructure approach is particularly valuable for the Korean food category, as it enables quick commerce platforms to offer authentic, fresh products that require specialized storage and handling conditions.
Blinkit has already onboarded several niche brands, including The Gourmet Jar, Krumb Kraft, Oat Mlk, VK Hydroponic Farms, and Zuru Zuru, and is currently in talks with additional players such as Urban Platter. The latest partnership with Wildflower Naturals represents the brand's expansion into quick commerce, with the company's product philosophy focusing on combining botanical ingredients and wellness traditions with clinically relevant actives and emerging skincare technologies. According to Mint, a premium brand on Gourmet sells products priced about 20-30% higher than a mass-market counterpart, which could help Blinkit bag higher margins. The Korean food boom is creating additional opportunities for premium positioning, as companies like Wai Wai, Knorr, and Yu are launching Korean-inspired products of their own, while restaurants and cloud kitchens are following suit, making quick commerce platforms like Blinkit increasingly attractive for premium food categories.
In 2025, Blinkit commanded 47% of the quick commerce market, followed by Zepto (22%), Swiggy Instamart (22%), and others, including Tata-owned BigBasket and Flipkart Minutes at 6%, per estimates by market research firm Datum Intelligence. As reported by Mint, Blinkit posted an adjusted Ebitda profit of ₹37 crore in the March quarter of FY26, its second straight quarter of profitability, against an operating revenue of ₹37,779 crore. However, net average order value (NAOV) improved only marginally to ₹525 against ₹520 a year earlier. The company currently operates 2,243 dark stores, up from 1,301 a year earlier, with its warehouse and dark store footprint expanding to 17 million sq ft. The Korean food trend is creating new growth opportunities within this established market position, with companies paying attention to secure early leads in what could become India's next premium packaged-food category.
