Rapido, the well-known ride-hailing app, is stepping into food delivery with a bold new promise—meals under ₹150, no hidden charges, and zero commission for restaurants. It’s called Ownly, and the pilot is kicking off in Bengaluru.
Why does this matter? Because right now, two names run the show—Zomato and Swiggy. Together, they handle 4.5 million food deliveries daily and control 95% of the market. But while they’ve scaled fast, the cost of online ordering has quietly ballooned. High commissions, markups, packaging fees—consumers pay the price. And many restaurants struggle to survive in the margins.
That’s where Rapido steps in, asking a very Indian question: Why should online food cost more than the same dish at your local outlet?
What’s Different About Rapido’s Ownly?
In one word: simplicity.
- Meals under ₹150? Required.
- Online price = Offline price? Mandatory.
- Packaging fee? Gone.
- Delivery fee? Flat ₹25 (or ₹20 for smaller orders)—paid by the restaurant, not the customer.
This isn’t charity. It’s strategy. Rapido believes most of Bharat—India’s price-conscious, offline-first majority—has been locked out of food delivery because it’s just too expensive.
They want to change that.
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Will Restaurants Bite?
Here’s the deal: Unlike Swiggy or Zomato, Rapido won’t take a cut from restaurants. Instead, it plans to charge a flat subscription fee later, once it reaches scale. For now, it’s zero commission all the way.
Restaurants also get access to customer data to run their own promotions—a move few platforms allow.
That’s appealing. Especially when some eateries say commissions from incumbents eat up 25–30% of every order. According to Moneycontrol, restaurant owners are eager for a serious third player.
Can Rapido Actually Win?
It’s not the first underdog. Even Coca Cola-backed Thrive couldn’t crack this market. ONDC, Magicpin, and others are trying but haven’t made a dent.
Yet, Rapido isn’t starting from zero. It already operates in 500 cities, has 30 million monthly users, and enables 4 million rides a month. That’s real reach. If even a fraction of those users start ordering food, Ownly could gain quick traction.
And let’s not forget the irony: Swiggy is an investor in Rapido. Talk about eating your own food chain.
Final Word
Online food is broken—for customers, for restaurants, and for wallets. Rapido is betting that honesty, simplicity, and affordability will win where convenience alone can’t.
Is this the future of food delivery in India—or just a spicy new entry that fizzles out?
Time, and our hunger, will tell.
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