Inside Zepto’s dark store: A glimpse of quick commerce at India AI Impact Summit 2026
On February 17 (day 2), Zepto completed 1,000 orders at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, signalling a strong demand.
- Feb 18, 2026,
- Updated Feb 18, 2026 6:41 PM IST
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 has officially completed three days of new reveals, live demos, and AI debates. While AI takes centre stage at the summit, Zepto’s rapid-delivery ecosystem emerged as a practical relief for attendees. The store has been placed at Bharat Mandapam, serving attendees with instant snacks, beverages, and essentials within minutes.
Business Today got the chance to explore the Zepto dark store, which is located right outside Hall 3 of the Bharat Mandapam. The store is stocked with all essentials, from quick snacks to beverages, energy drinks, stationery, and even electronics like power banks. What makes the store even more exciting is that, inside a 1200 sq ft store, the quick-commerce app is also running its Zepto cafe, bringing freshly prepared coffee, ready-to-eat bites, and quick meals.
How Zepto dark store functions at the AI summit
Within the Zepto app, attendees can quickly place their order, keeping their hall number as the location. Each hall has a dedicated pick-up point from where the orders can be picked up. At the summit, Zepto is taking nearly 15 minutes to deliver an order, which is fast given the high footfall, multiple requests, and considering the complexity of operating within a large event venue.
Reportedly, about 50 workers were deployed to handle tasks such as picking items, packing, and delivering them to the attendees. When an order is placed, it instantly shows up on workers’ handheld devices, which guides them through the shelves in the fastest route, preventing unnecessary backtracking. The staff also noted that the device showcases a single item at a time for greater efficiency.
Then, the products are scanned at the shelves and packed into tagged bags. Rather than navigating the crowds to find individuals, delivery executives transport the orders to 11 designated pickup points stationed across the venue.
While we are yet to get exact numbers of orders placed in these three days, Aadit Palicha, CEO and co-founder of Zepto, revealed that on February 17 (day 2 of the AI summit), it completed 1,000 orders, signalling a strong demand.
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The India AI Impact Summit 2026 has officially completed three days of new reveals, live demos, and AI debates. While AI takes centre stage at the summit, Zepto’s rapid-delivery ecosystem emerged as a practical relief for attendees. The store has been placed at Bharat Mandapam, serving attendees with instant snacks, beverages, and essentials within minutes.
Business Today got the chance to explore the Zepto dark store, which is located right outside Hall 3 of the Bharat Mandapam. The store is stocked with all essentials, from quick snacks to beverages, energy drinks, stationery, and even electronics like power banks. What makes the store even more exciting is that, inside a 1200 sq ft store, the quick-commerce app is also running its Zepto cafe, bringing freshly prepared coffee, ready-to-eat bites, and quick meals.
How Zepto dark store functions at the AI summit
Within the Zepto app, attendees can quickly place their order, keeping their hall number as the location. Each hall has a dedicated pick-up point from where the orders can be picked up. At the summit, Zepto is taking nearly 15 minutes to deliver an order, which is fast given the high footfall, multiple requests, and considering the complexity of operating within a large event venue.
Reportedly, about 50 workers were deployed to handle tasks such as picking items, packing, and delivering them to the attendees. When an order is placed, it instantly shows up on workers’ handheld devices, which guides them through the shelves in the fastest route, preventing unnecessary backtracking. The staff also noted that the device showcases a single item at a time for greater efficiency.
Then, the products are scanned at the shelves and packed into tagged bags. Rather than navigating the crowds to find individuals, delivery executives transport the orders to 11 designated pickup points stationed across the venue.
While we are yet to get exact numbers of orders placed in these three days, Aadit Palicha, CEO and co-founder of Zepto, revealed that on February 17 (day 2 of the AI summit), it completed 1,000 orders, signalling a strong demand.
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