MUMBAI — Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration has suspended the food licence of a Blink Commerce Pvt. Ltd. dark store in Mumbai’s Malad West after inspectors found what authorities described as unhygienic conditions, including a cockroach infestation and improper storage of food items, officials said.
The action concerns a facility operated by Blink Commerce, which runs quick-commerce platform Blinkit, at Sarvodaya Bhuvan in Malad West. Food safety officers inspected the premises on Aug. 7 and found multiple lapses, according to reports citing FDA officials.
The inspection identified an extensive cockroach infestation at the facility, along with deficiencies in the way food products were stored. The FDA subsequently suspended the establishment’s food business licence, the officials said.
The enforcement action comes as Maharashtra authorities have stepped up scrutiny of food-handling facilities operated by quick-commerce companies. Dark stores serve as fulfilment centres where products, including groceries and other food items, are stored before being dispatched to customers.
The latest suspension follows earlier regulatory action against quick-commerce facilities in the state. In June 2025, the Maharashtra FDA suspended the food licence of a Blinkit-associated dark store in Pune’s Balewadi area after finding that it lacked the required food licence and had breached hygiene requirements, including improper storage practices. The facility was subsequently cleared to resume operations after its licence was renewed.
The FDA has previously said it would conduct inspections of quick-commerce dark stores to check licensing, food handling and hygiene practices under India’s food safety regulations.
The latest action is directed at the Malad facility and does not, by itself, amount to a suspension of Blinkit’s operations across Maharashtra.
Blink Commerce’s public website identifies Blinkit as being owned and managed by Blink Commerce Private Limited.
The Malad facility’s food licence remains suspended pending compliance with the requirements cited by the Maharashtra FDA.
