Quick commerce will need 75 million sq ft by 2030: CBRE
By Arjun MehtaSenior Business Editor, Peepals Business
Representative image: chowbins / Pixabay
India's quick commerce sector will need about 75 million sq ft of urban logistics space by 2030, nearly triple today's, a CBRE report released on October 26, 2026, says.
What Happened
India's quick commerce companies, the apps that deliver groceries and everyday goods in minutes, will need about 75 million square feet of urban logistics space by 2030, almost three times what they use today, according to a report by the real estate consultancy CBRE South Asia released on Monday, October 26, 2026. The report estimates that the sector now runs about 7,800 dark stores, small warehouses that serve only online orders, occupying nearly 27 million square feet across more than 100 cities. It expects the number of dark stores to pass 12,000 by 2030.
Key Facts
- Source: CBRE South Asia report on quick commerce and logistics real estate, released October 26, 2026.
- Space needed by 2030: about 75 million sq ft of urban logistics space.
- Split: about 42 million sq ft for in-city dark stores and about 33 million sq ft for larger "mother hubs" on city outskirts that restock them.
- Today: about 7,800 dark stores occupying nearly 27 million sq ft in more than 100 cities.
- Dark stores expected to exceed 12,000 by 2030.
- Quick commerce warehousing demand grew at a compound annual rate of 81% between 2021 and 2025.
- About 65% to 70% of dark stores are in the top eight metros, but operators are expanding into tier-II and tier-III cities.
- Obstacles flagged: high rents, scarce suitable properties and zoning rules, especially in dense city areas.
Why It Matters
Quick commerce depends on being physically close to customers. A 10-minute delivery promise only works if a stocked dark store sits within a few kilometres of the buyer, and that store has to be restocked from a larger warehouse nearby. The report turns that business model into a real estate number: to keep growing, the sector needs to almost triple its footprint in five years.
That creates openings well beyond the delivery apps themselves. Landlords and developers who can offer small, well-located commercial units, warehouse builders on city edges, cold-chain operators, fit-out contractors, security and facility management firms, and electric delivery fleet providers all stand to gain if the projection holds. For entrepreneurs in tier-II and tier-III cities, the shift of dark stores beyond the big metros means local demand for exactly these services is likely to grow.
The report also points to the constraints. Rents in dense city areas are high, suitable properties are scarce, and many municipal zoning rules were not written with dark stores in mind, which can lead to disputes with residents and local authorities. Any business planning around this growth should treat the 2030 figure as a projection that depends on quick commerce companies continuing to expand at pace, not as guaranteed demand.
| Measure | 2026 (estimate) | 2030 (projection) |
|---|---|---|
| Dark stores | About 7,800 | More than 12,000 |
| Logistics space used by quick commerce | Nearly 27 million sq ft | About 75 million sq ft |
| Of which in-city dark stores | Not split in reports | About 42 million sq ft |
| Of which outer-city mother hubs | Not split in reports | About 33 million sq ft |
Impact
Short-term: Demand for small urban warehouses and city-edge logistics parks should stay strong, keeping pressure on rents in well-located areas of the top eight metros.
Long-term: If the projection holds, dark stores and mother hubs will spread into many more smaller cities, creating business for local developers, suppliers and service firms and jobs in warehousing and delivery.
Who is affected: Quick commerce companies and their investors, commercial landlords and warehouse developers, logistics and cold-chain businesses, delivery workers, municipal planners, and residents living near dark stores.
Key Takeaway
A CBRE report released on October 26, 2026, projects that India's quick commerce sector will need about 75 million sq ft of logistics space by 2030, nearly triple today's 27 million sq ft.
Questions and Answers
How much warehouse space will quick commerce need in India by 2030?
About 75 million square feet of urban logistics space, according to a CBRE South Asia report released on October 26, 2026. That includes about 42 million sq ft of in-city dark stores and about 33 million sq ft of larger mother hubs.
How many dark stores are there in India now?
The report estimates about 7,800 dark stores in 2026, occupying nearly 27 million sq ft across more than 100 cities. It expects the number to exceed 12,000 by 2030.
What is a mother hub in quick commerce?
A mother hub is a larger warehouse, usually on the edge of a city, that receives goods in bulk and restocks the smaller dark stores inside the city, which then fulfil customers' orders.
What could slow the growth of dark stores?
The report flags high rents, a shortage of suitable properties and zoning rules, especially in densely populated parts of cities where being close to customers matters most.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Arjun Mehta, Senior Business EditorCovers Start-ups & Opportunities and more for Peepals Business. All stories by Arjun Mehta
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Arjun Mehta is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
