In the inner blocks of M3M’s 65th Avenue in Gurgaon, a familiar name on a blue board caught the eye of shoppers earlier this week — Instamart.
Swiggy’s 10-minute delivery vertical, Instamart’s first offline space opened on December 11 — a swanky retail store where one can physically go and buy products. It is attached to a dark store that doubles up as inventory for tgurgaonhe small outlet in R3 block.
On sale are perishables, groceries, snacks and beverages. “We just came here to check it out, and see if the prices are like those (discounted) on Instamart. They were,” said a group of three young women, who live nearby.
“Perishables and snacks are the most popular things ordered. Most of the crowd comes in the evenings,” said a staffer, who did not wish to be named.
The Indian Express checked if the products were being sold at MRP or being discounted like on the Instamart app. An Uncle Chips packet worth Rs 50, marked as Rs 38 on the app, was retailing for Rs 37 here. A 250 gm Parle G biscuit pack of Rs 30 MRP was selling for Rs 26 on both the Instamart app and the store.
There are no delivery charges or platform fees.
Manning the shop is a cashier, with a security guard stationed outside; the dark store operates separately.
An in-charge at the store pointed to a board, which bore the name of PYD Retail Private Limited, a retail solutions and supply chain logistics company. It supports several Instamarts across the National Capital Region.
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“But this is the first offline store. It is sponsored by Swiggy. After a picture of the store went viral on Monday, we have been asked to keep a low profile and not allow videography etc,” the staffer claimed.
Jaideep Narwal (29), an entrepreneur who owns a restaurant named KON (Kitchen of Narwal) at the 65th Avenue said the store has been a boon in terms of being the supply source. “Most restaurants here get their supplies from here now. They are reliable,” he said, currently in the store to buy milk for seasonal celebratory sweets.
Asked for more details about the store and the arrangement with Swiggy, the staff refused to respond.
They smiled as Narwal asked for an order he placed through the app to be cancelled so he can just buy it physically. “Our dark store people have to pack it in 2 minutes, so they can get to you in 10,” said the staff.
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Swiggy and PYD Retail have yet to respond to calls and messages seeking comment.
Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana.
Education
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020)
- B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019)
Professional Experience
Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features.
Reporting Interests
His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon.
Recent Coverage (2025)
- Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025).
- Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025).
- Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025).
- Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram.
- Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025).
- Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025).
Contact
X (Twitter): @AB_Hazardous ... Read More
