&w=3840&q=100)
Rapido launches Ownly app, enters food delivery with zero-commission model
The launch comes just a few months after Rapido and the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI), which claims to represent over 50,000 eateries, started conversations to finalise terms and conditions (T&C) for bringing restaurant partners on the platform. NRAI had said that, given that Swiggy and Zomato charge high commissions, the association is actively exploring a third alternative.
The new platform, as a result, will be based on a zero-commission model. According to the terms that were earlier exchanged between NRAI and Rapido, the restaurant partners will pay the delivery fee for all orders in a standard radius of four kilometers or less.
However, in cases where the order value is Rs 100 and below, delivery costs will be Rs 10. Here, the customers will be asked to pay Rs 20. In other cases, where the order value is above Rs 100 and below Rs 400, the delivery cost will be Rs 25, in addition to a flat GST amount. For orders above Rs 400, the cost will be Rs 50. Business Standard had reviewed a copy of the T&C.
In an exclusive interview with this newspaper in May this year, commenting on the question of a potential food delivery business, Rapido's co-founder, Aravind Sanka, said, "Whatever we do, we will try to give value back to the users in any category. In any category we enter in the future, we'll have a similar philosophy. There are multiple opportunities that always knock on the door because of our scale. We also want to see what the void in the market is. So, a lot of the time, we don't enter just because someone has left that void. We enter because we think the value is not actually getting passed for some reason."
In May 2025, on an overall platform level, Rapido had closer to two million captains. The company also plans to expand its services to 500 cities by year-end.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Did Swiggy increase their platform fee from ₹12 to ₹14? Report reveals...
India food delivery aggregator Swiggy had raised its platform fee from ₹ 12 to ₹ 14 in certain pockets only on 15 August due to increase in demand of orders, people familiar with the development told However, as of 16 August, the platform fee remains ₹ 12 across India. A platform fee is a charge that a company like Swiggy, Zomato, or Uber adds to each transaction to cover the cost of maintaining and operating its platform. The platform fee of Rs14 per food delivery order was inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Economic Times reported. In comparison, Zomato applies a platform fee of ₹ 10, excluding GST. Swiggy was the first to introduce this fee in April 2023, starting at ₹ 2, and has gradually increased it to ₹ 12 (pre-GST) as part of its strategy to strengthen unit-level profitability. Zomato adopted a similar approach, though its most recent fee revision occurred in October 2024. While these fees represented a small portion of the typical ₹ 500– ₹ 600 order value seen on food delivery platforms, they significantly contributed to improving overall profit margins for the companies, the ET report said. In the April–June period, Swiggy's net loss soared to ₹ 1,197 crore, double the figure from the same quarter last year. The company also reported a net cash outflow of ₹ 1,053 crore after accounting for its operating, investing, and financing activities, ET report mentioned. Despite the deepening losses, Swiggy saw a 54% year-on-year growth in operating revenue, which reached ₹ 4,961 crore. Amid this, new competition is emerging in the food delivery space. Ride-hailing firm Rapido has launched Ownly, its own food delivery platform, which is currently operational in select areas of Bengaluru, including Koramangala, HSR Layout, and BTM Layout. Ownly aims to challenge established players like Swiggy and Zomato by offering lower commission rates to restaurant partners between 8% and 15%, compared to the 16% to 30% typically charged by the incumbents.


Mint
a day ago
- Mint
Did Swiggy increase their platform fee from ₹12 to ₹14? Report reveals...
Indian online food ordering and delivery company Swiggy has reportedly raised its platform fee from ₹ 12 to ₹ 14 ahead of the festive season. It was introduced for certain regions on 15 August amid increase in demand of orders; however, it will be reduced once the demand slows down, The Economic Times reported. A platform fee is a charge that a company like Swiggy, Zomato, or Uber adds to each transaction to cover the cost of maintaining and operating its platform. The platform fee of Rs14 per food delivery order is inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the ET report noted. It is reportedly a 600 per cent increase in just more than two years, NDTV reported. In comparison, Zomato applies a platform fee of ₹ 10, excluding GST. Swiggy was the first to introduce this fee in April 2023, starting at ₹ 2, and has gradually increased it to ₹ 12 (pre-GST) as part of its strategy to strengthen unit-level profitability. Zomato adopted a similar approach, though its most recent fee revision occurred in October 2024. While these fees represent a small portion of the typical ₹ 500– ₹ 600 order value seen on food delivery platforms, they significantly contribute to improving overall profit margins for the companies. As it ramps up investments in its Instamart vertical, Swiggy has reportedly increased its platform fee amid mounting financial pressure. The move comes during a quarter marked by a sharp rise in losses. In the April–June period, Swiggy's net loss soared to ₹ 1,197 crore, double the figure from the same quarter last year. The company also reported a net cash outflow of ₹ 1,053 crore after accounting for its operating, investing, and financing activities, ET report said. Despite the deepening losses, Swiggy saw a 54% year-on-year growth in operating revenue, which reached ₹ 4,961 crore. Amid this, new competition is emerging in the food delivery space. Ride-hailing firm Rapido has launched Ownly, its own food delivery platform, which is currently operational in select areas of Bengaluru, including Koramangala, HSR Layout, and BTM Layout. Ownly aims to challenge established players like Swiggy and Zomato by offering lower commission rates to restaurant partners between 8% and 15%, compared to the 16% to 30% typically charged by the incumbents. Zomato introduced five price hikes in less than two years, resulting in a 400% surge, NDTV report said. Amid the Swiggy-Zomato duopoly, with commission fees reaching as high as 35%, restaurant owners are left with little choice but to raise their menu prices. As a result, multiple surveys indicate that ordering food online now costs over 50% more than dining at the restaurant, the report added. has reached out to Swiggy for a statement. The story will be updated once received.

The Wire
a day ago
- The Wire
Swiggy's Students Rewards Program Crosses 3 Lakh Enrollments, Signing up now made easier with valid physical College ID
BENGALURU, India, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiggy (Swiggy Ltd) (NSE: SWIGGY) (BSE: 544285), India's pioneering on-demand convenience platform, today announced that it has rapidly expanded its Students Rewards Program to reach 3 lakh college students across 3,500 campuses within three months of launch. Additionally, the company shared that it has introduced sign up via physical College ID card for students. This upgrade ensures that students without a college email id can also avail the benefits of the Students Rewards Program. Students can simply search for the phrase "Identity card" on the app, upload a photo of their valid student ID card and get started. For students, the benefits are designed to make every meal and grocery run lighter on the pocket. With Swiggy One Lite available at just ₹1 for three months, they can enjoy up to 67% off on food delivery orders, flat INR 225 off on select food orders, and flat INR 50 off on Instamart purchases. Dining out becomes even more affordable with an extra 20% off on restaurant bills, and those paying via BHIM can get an additional INR 40 off, making everyday cravings and essentials more budget-friendly. From engineering labs to hostel corridors, food is a great unifier for students. We have seen some interesting trends over the last 3 months of the Students Rewards Program being live. While order volumes were highest in the metro cities, interestingly, more than one third of students who enrolled for the Students Rewards Program were from emerging towns like Manipal, Patiala, Dehradun and Mangaluru - marking popularity of this Rewards Program beyond metros. Reflecting on the rapid growth of the program, Deepak Maloo, Vice President – Food Strategy, Customer Experience & New Initiatives, Swiggy, said "The Student Rewards Program is a key part of Swiggy's larger effort to deliver greater value and convenience to young consumers. By expanding access to students who may not have a college email ID but can verify their identity with a valid college ID card, we aim to make the program even more inclusive and impactful—while deepening our presence across India's vibrant college ecosystem." To know more about the College ID verification, please visit this link- Swiggy Unveils Its First-Ever College Rankings 2025 In addition to this, Swiggy tapped into the pulse of students' food preferences across 8000 campuses and unveiled its first-ever College Rankings 2025. From midnight munchies to biryani binges, here's how students across India are making food a serious part of their college routine. • VIT Vellore, AIMS New Delhi, and IIT Madras were Snack Lovers' Paradise with the highest snack orders. • ISB Hyderabad, PGIMER Delhi, and Dr. DY Patil Medical College Pune topped the charts for protein-rich meals. • Burgers continued to be amongst the favourites. The highest number of burger orders came from KIIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Bombay and IIT BHU Varanasi. • The colleges with the most biryani orders were NIT Warangal, University of Hyderabad, Osmania University in Hyderabad, BITS Pilani Goa, and IIIT Hyderabad. • Students of IIT Bhilai, BITS Pilani Hyderabad and Malla Reddy College Hyderabad clocked highest meals items in a single order. • Thapar Institute (Patiala), IIIT (Hyderabad) and IIT (Kharagpur) redeemed the most Swiggy coupons. You can view the college rankings here. About Swiggy: Swiggy is India's pioneering on-demand convenience platform, catering to millions of consumers each month. Founded in 2014, its mission is to elevate the quality of life for the urban consumer by offering unparalleled convenience, enabled by 5.4 lakh delivery partners. With an extensive footprint in food delivery, Swiggy collaborates with over 2.5 lakh restaurants across ~718 cities. Instamart, its quick commerce platform operating in 124 cities, delivers groceries and other essentials across 20 categories in 10 minutes. Fueled by a commitment to innovation, Swiggy continually incubates and integrates new services like Swiggy Dineout and Swiggy Scenes into its app, as well as creating standalone offerings like Snacc and Pyng for opening up new market segments. Leveraging cutting-edge technology and Swiggy One, the country's only membership program offering benefits across food, quick commerce and dining out, Swiggy aims to provide a superior experience to its users. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI This is an auto-published feed from PTI with no editorial input from The Wire.