FSSAI licences suspended for four quick-commerce dark stores in Hyderabad over food safety violations
Four quick-commerce dark stores in Hyderabad have had their Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licences suspended and were ordered to halt operations immediately after inspections by the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) on Wednesday uncovered multiple food safety violations.
Scope of inspections
The enforcement action followed inspections of 16 dark stores across Hyderabad operated by multiple companies: Kwickbox Retail Private Limited, which runs Swiggy Instamart dark stores; Instakart Services Private Limited, which operates Flipkart dark stores; Zepto Private Limited; and Dropx Logistics.
Stores suspended
According to officials, licences were suspended at four establishments:
- A Swiggy Instamart store at Petbasheerbad
- A Flipkart store near Charminar
- A Zepto store in Koti
- Another Swiggy Instamart store at Saidabad
All four were directed to cease business operations immediately.
Key violations found
TG SAFE officials reported a range of hygiene and safety violations at the stores inspected. These included:
- Unhygienic premises
- Damaged and expired food articles
- Improper handling and storage of food
- Spoiled vegetables with fungal infestation
- Violations of FSSAI labelling and display regulations
- Cockroach and pest infestation
- Improper maintenance of cold-room temperatures
Officials also collected 15 food samples on suspicion of adulteration for further analysis.
Notices and next steps
Beyond the licence suspensions, TG SAFE said improvement notices will be issued to three establishments, while show-cause notices will be served to five others for violations identified during the inspections. Establishments receiving improvement notices will be re-inspected to verify compliance. Further action, including penalties, will be considered against those issued show-cause notices, officials said.
Significance
The action marks a substantial regulatory intervention in Hyderabad’s fast-growing quick-commerce sector, with state officials citing serious lapses in hygiene, storage, and labelling standards at multiple dark stores. The suspensions and pending proceedings underscore heightened scrutiny of food safety compliance in last-mile delivery warehouses.
