Udaipur is quickly becoming a renowned heritage site and an important center for quick commerce and rapid fulfillment in southern Rajasthan. Udaipur is well-placed along the NH-48 (Delhi-Mumbai Expressway) and the NH-27 (East-West Corridor) and acts as a crucial transit point to connect Rajasthan with the other states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. With evolving consumer expectations for quick delivery of grocery and FMCG goods, platforms like Bigbasket (BB Now) and Zepto have developed a network of micro-fulfillment centers throughout the different commercial and residential regions in Udaipur.

However, implementing rapid dark store replenishment in Udaipur comes with its own logistical challenges. The mid-mile transport fleet has to navigate through the urban choke points of Surajpole, Delhi Gate, and Chetak Circle, as well as through important roads that are extremely congested, like Lake City Mall Road and City Station Road. Simultaneously, mid-mile vehicles loaded with goods from the regional distribution centers located at Debari, Sukher, or Pratap Nagar may also face unexpected issues while traveling through the peripheral arterial roads.

The dark stores' operations need to maintain strict ABD (appointment-based delivery) policies to avoid stockouts. The quick commerce centers have very strict unloading slots of 15-30 minutes at receiving docks. Late deliveries or sudden arrivals at the delivery points may lead to immediate gate rejection of the vehicle, resulting in heavy detention charges, bad ratings for the vendor, and stockouts on the consumer apps.

The solution to the fulfillment challenges faced by the FMCG brands and suppliers is to partner with the right third-party logistics (3PL) players. The following is the list of the top five delivery partners that have supported the operations of Bigbasket and Zepto in Udaipur.

1. Edgistify

Edgistify is a technology-driven third-party logistics company that focuses on quick commerce supply chains as well as B2B dark store replenishment. It is located close to industrial areas such as Madri Industrial Area and Debari. To navigate city traffic and ensure accurate dock arrival times, Edgistify uses tools for optimization of routes and integration into system of real-time docking hubs.

2. Prozo (ProShip)

Prozo offers warehouse logistics and mid-mile freight services that are ideal for quick restocking in secondary cities. The company helps local manufacturers and direct-to-consumer firms in stockpiling goods at dark warehouses while lowering unloading time.

3. Shiprocket Cargo

Shiprocket Cargo is a leading logistics partner of local spice processors, packaged food exporters, and D2C (Direct to Consumer) companies across Rajasthan. It specializes in being a B2B logistics partner for Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) services, permitting suppliers to do smaller and more frequent replenishments to dark stores without having to pay the cost of full truck loads.

Shadowfax Enterprise

Shadowfax has established a multi-purpose urban transportation fleet to facilitate FMCG shipments and replenish dark stores. The company’s localized presence enables quick transfer of goods from various regional hubs to congested city markets.

Delhivery Enterprise

Delhivery utilizes a wide national linehauling network and regional cross-docking facilities to transport extensive cargo shipments in Southern Rajasthan. Delhivery utilizes unique freight capacity for manufacturers who export a bulk of their items from primary locations like Jaipur, Ahmedabad, or NCR to dark stores in Udaipur.