India, April 23 -- The science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke said that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Take quick commerce, for example. Ten-minute delivery is a technological wonder at each step, from the retail app that nudges you to stock up on biscuits just before your daily chai craving kicks in, to the smart EV that rushes your Parle-G from the dark store to your doorstep before your kettle's first whistle.

To the untrained eye, the quick commerce model may seem simple. However, the technology behind it is vastly complex - using data science, AI-based demand prediction models and route-planning algorithms, among other tools, to support large-scale business operations, optimise inventory and p...