Some shopping habits never seem to change, even as technology moves ahead. One of India’s oldest market traditions has now shown up in an unexpected place, leaving social media users amused.
A Bengaluru venture capitalist recently discovered this after ordering a memory card through a quick commerce app. What arrived with the package was something he never expected to receive for free.
A Surprise With The Order
Ritesh Banglani, a Bengaluru-based venture capitalist, shared on X that he had ordered an SD card from Swiggy Instamart. When the delivery arrived, he found a bunch of fresh dhaniya (coriander) packed along with the memory card.
“Indian quick commerce is wild. I ordered an SD card and got some dhaniya free with it,” Banglani wrote. His post quickly caught people’s attention, with many finding the unexpected freebie both funny and relatable.
Banglani, who is part of the investment team at Stellaris Venture Partners, also shared a screenshot of the order to show that it had really happened.
Social Media Enjoyed The Joke
The post received several funny reactions from users. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma commented, “Tell me this is a joke and not real. Else I will ROFL.”
Another user played with words and wrote, “Did you say Dhaniyavad,” combining “dhaniya” with “dhanyavaad,” the Hindi word for “thank you.”
Entrepreneur Vivek Kejriwal also joined the conversation, saying, “They are aping local grocery store. Just that they have ability to give on SD card too.”
Soon, another X user, shared that he had received free coriander with an iPhone ordered through a quick commerce platform earlier this year. He even posted photos under Banglani’s post.
Indian quick commerce is wild. I ordered an SD card and got some dhaniya free with it.
— Ritesh Banglani (@banglani) August 4, 2026
How The Tradition Reached Quick Commerce
Giving customers a small bunch of free dhaniya or green chillies has long been a common practice at local vegetable markets across India. Many shoppers have come to expect this small gesture from neighbourhood vendors.
This tradition entered the quick commerce space in 2024 after Mumbai entrepreneur Ankit Sawant shared that his mother was surprised Blinkit charged separately for coriander. She suggested that customers buying vegetables above a certain amount should receive dhaniya free.
Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa replied with a simple, “Will do.” Within hours, the company introduced a feature allowing eligible customers to add 100 grams of complimentary coriander to their vegetable orders.
Since then, the small freebie has become a familiar part of many quick commerce deliveries and now, it seems, even orders that have nothing to do with vegetables.