Why Is Flipkart Joining India’s Food Delivery Renaissance?

Flipkart is throwing its hat in the food delivery ring like Rapido, with a low-commission, ecosystem-led playbook to take on Zomato and Swiggy

Flipkart is looking to solve the biggest pain point for restaurants — the overall cost of being on food delivery platforms, but it wouldn’t be the first marketplace to try this strategy

Flipkart is looking to charge restaurants a 12–13% base commission and is considering launching in Bengaluru by end-August, initially through Flipkart Minutes, while also working on a standalone food delivery app

Added to Saved Stories in Login VIEW SAVED STORIES .inc42-toggle-item-popup { display: none; position: relative; } .toggle-item-close { text-align: end; padding: 8px 12px 0px 10px; position: absolute; right: 0; cursor: pointer; } .toggle-items-content-main { display: block; position: relative; top: 27px; left: -204px; border-radius: 12px; background: #FFF; box-shadow: 0px 4px 24px 0px rgba(100, 100, 100, 0.25); width: 435px; height: 115px; } .toggle-items-content { display: flex; align-items: baseline; justify-content: center; padding-top: 22px; } .toggle-items-content .items-content-text .h4-saved-story{ color: #000; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; text-transform: capitalize; margin: 2px 0 10px 6px; } .toggle-items-content .items-content-text .myInc42-plus-dark { width: 100px !important; } .toggle-items-content .items-content-text .myInc42-light { width: 80px !important; } .toggle-items-content .items-content-text img{ height: 22px; } .view-my-feed-btn { width: 100%; text-align: center; display: flex; justify-content: center; } .view-my-feed-btn a { width: auto !important; } .view-my-feed-btn button { border-radius: 4px; background: linear-gradient(180deg, #DA1B4D 0%, #E23026 100%); color: #fff; font-size: 12px; display: inline-block !important; min-width: 162px; width: 162px !important; height: 34px !important; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; line-height: normal; padding: 10px; cursor: pointer; } .CustomIconStyled { position: absolute; right: 180px; top: -80px; } .SubDropdownModelShare .sub-arrow-icon { width: 76px; height: 80px; position: relative; overflow: hidden; box-shadow: none; } @media (max-width:767px) { .toggle-items-content .items-content-text .h4-saved-story{ margin: 4px 0 10px 6px; font-size: 18px; } .toggle-items-content { align-items: center; } }

Walmart-owned Flipkart is close to a full food delivery launch in Bengaluru and is currently eyeing a timeline of August end for the rollout, followed by other cities later this year. And as this as-yet-unnamed new business gets underway, Flipkart Minutes will act as training wheels initially.

While a standalone food delivery app is also in the works and could go live in the coming months, for the initial rollout and to ease customer acquisition, Minutes will handle the food delivery vertical’s order and fulfilment flow.

Detailed queries sent to Flipkart on its app strategy and commission structure ahead of the food delivery rollout remained unanswered at the time of filing this story.

This rollout mirrors a two-pronged approach that Rapido has also adopted after its food delivery app launch Ownly earlier this year. Rapido later integrated its food delivery services within the main ride-hailing app, expanding accessibility to its existing user base. Flipkart’s entry and Rapido’s early gains land in the middle of a public standoff between restaurants and the Swiggy-Zomato duopoly. The long-standing unease between these two factions over high commissions and increasing layering of costs has led to the latest dispute.

This rollout mirrors a two-pronged approach that Rapido has also adopted after its food delivery app launch Ownly earlier this year. Rapido later integrated its food delivery services within the main ride-hailing app, expanding accessibility to its existing user base.

Flipkart’s entry and Rapido’s early gains land in the middle of a........

© Inc42