Blinkit has introduced a Rs 2,500 charge for non-emergency ambulance services, changing its earlier free-of-cost policy for such transfers. The quick-commerce company's emergency ambulance services, however, will continue to remain free.
Eternal founder Deepinder Goyal announced the change in a post on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that the decision was taken after the company noticed increasing use of ambulances for routine medical transportation.
I started Zomato with a spirit of service. Blinkit Ambulance is what that spirit of service looks like today. In the last 2 years, we have served ~20,000 emergency cases (~42,000 cases in total). We haven't charged a single rupee for any of them. And we want to keep it that way. With everything free, a growing share of bookings are for routine checkups, hospital visits and hospital-to-home transfers, trips that an Uber or private transport could have handled just as easily. Every such booking keeps a fully equipped emergency ambulance with paramedics off the road when someone's life may depend on it. So we are making a change from now onwards: Emergency transfers – free, as always. Non-emergency transfers – ₹2,500, charged after the trip. Broadly in line with what private ambulances charge. This money goes to Eternal Foundation, which runs these ambulances and will help us scale them even further. We hope that this charge will dramatically drop the usage of our Ambulances for non-emergency cases. 10-minute ambulances have saved and can save thousands of lives, and we need to keep them available for emergencies that need them the most. One more thing. Scaling high quality ambulances is hard. The biggest bottleneck is trained, empathic paramedics. Our training academy is scaling as fast as we can without compromising on quality, and @albinder and team are committed to bringing Blinkit Ambulance to all major cities in India in the next 2-4 years. Stay well, and I pray you don't need us. @sparsh_sehgal – I wish your grandma a speedy recovery, and I am so glad we were able to be there on time.
— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) November 5, 2026
According to Goyal, people had been booking the service for regular doctor appointments, routine health check-ups and trips from hospitals back home, even when such journeys did not require emergency medical assistance.
The company hopes the new fee will discourage non-emergency bookings and ensure that ambulances remain available for patients who need urgent medical attention.
Why Has Blinkit Introduced A Rs 2,500 Ambulance Fee?
Sharing details of the service's performance over the past two years, Goyal said Blinkit's ambulance fleet had handled approximately 42,000 cases, including nearly 20,000 emergency trips.
He added that the company would charge Rs 2,500 for non-emergency transfers, with the amount collected after the journey. Goyal said the pricing was broadly in line with what private ambulance operators charge.
"We hope that this charge will dramatically drop the usage of our Ambulances for non-emergency cases. 10-minute ambulances have saved and can save thousands of lives, and we need to keep them available for emergencies that need them the most," he wrote.
Where Will The Money Collected From Non-Emergency Trips Go?
Goyal clarified that the money collected through non-emergency bookings would go directly to the Eternal Foundation, which operates the ambulance fleet. The funds will help the organisation expand its operations.
He also highlighted the challenges involved in scaling medical transportation services, particularly the shortage of trained and empathetic paramedics.
What Prompted Deepinder Goyal's Announcement?
The policy change followed a social media post by a user who credited Blinkit's ambulance service with helping save his grandmother's life.
Recalling the incident, the user said the ambulance reached their home within eight minutes after her condition suddenly deteriorated and transported her to the emergency ward.
"Things went south suddenly, but they reached home in 8 minutes and drove her to the emergency ward promptly," the user wrote, adding that no hospital ambulance could have matched the response time.
Responding to the post, Goyal wished the user's grandmother a speedy recovery and expressed relief that the ambulance had reached them in time.