Rapido Targets 100 Million Food Users
Rapido co-founder and CEO Aravind Sanka has said the company’s food delivery push through Ownly is aimed at expanding India’s online food ordering market, not merely competing with Zomato and Swiggy.
Rapido Ownly Food Delivery Strategy
Sanka said Rapido’s food delivery ambitions are built around its existing logistics network, which already handles bike taxis, autos, cabs and hyperlocal deliveries.
According to him, food delivery is fundamentally a logistics business, and Rapido’s rider network can help reduce costs by keeping delivery partners active across multiple use cases through the day.
He said Rapido wants online food delivery users in India to reach 100 million within three years, adding that the company’s role is to help expand the market rather than only take share from existing platforms.
Zomato Swiggy Model Questioned
Sanka argued that current food delivery platforms are more suited to national chains and large brands, while many local and regional eateries remain outside the online delivery ecosystem.
He said restaurants often face higher commissions, mark-ups and advertising pressures, which can make online prices much higher than offline menu prices. This, he said, discourages both smaller restaurants and price-sensitive customers from using food delivery apps.
Rapido’s Ownly model is based on zero commission for restaurants, with menu prices kept at par with offline rates and delivery charges shown separately to customers.
Rapido Logistics Network Expansion
Rapido believes its existing base of over 3 million captains and more than 7.5 million daily orders across mobility and delivery services gives it an advantage in building a lower-cost food delivery model.
The company has expanded from around 100 cities to nearly 500 cities in 15 months. While Ownly remains a new bet, Sanka said Rapido’s immediate focus is to prove the food delivery model before entering another major business line.
