
Two Sharp with ET: Food safety shock hits Blinkit, Zepto; rare-earth crisis rattles auto sector
Zomato's Blinkit and Zepto are under fire as FDA raids expose expired goods and hygiene issues, shaking investor confidence. Meanwhile, a rare-earth export squeeze from China halts car production at Ford and Suzuki. India faces food safety fears at home and supply chain tremors abroad. All of this in today's Two Sharp with ET. Show more 05:49
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Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Rapido's food delivery entry unlikely to dent duopoly, say brokerages
Rapido's foray into food delivery through a pilot in Bengaluru is unlikely to materially disrupt the entrenched duopoly of Zomato and Swiggy, multiple brokerages said in separate notes, citing the operational complexity, capital intensity and customer experience challenges inherent to the business. TOI reported on Monday, Bengaluru-based Rapido is currently preparing to launch its food delivery service with a fundamentally different pricing structure, choosing flat fees over traditional percentage commissions charged to restaurants. The move positioned the ride-hailing firm as a challenger to Zomato and Swiggy at a time when small restaurant owners are increasingly vocal about rising aggregator costs. Rapido plans to charge a fixed Rs 25 on food orders below Rs 400 and Rs 50 for those above. These charges are flat fees deducted from the order value, paid by the restaurant to Rapido. Bernstein's Rahul Malhotra noted that while Rapido plans to leverage its over 3 million rider base and charge lower take rates, 'new entrants have been unsuccessful in the past.' Malhotra cited prior attempts by Amazon, Ola and ONDC that failed to scale due to limited restaurant selection, fragmented supply, and weak customer experience. He added that India's food delivery market, dominated by Zomato and Swiggy with 54 per cent and 46 per cent market shares respectively, has become operationally complex with over 200,000 to 300,000 restaurants, posing high barriers to scale for new players. Elara Capital's Karan Taurani acknowledged Rapido's cross-utilisation model, where its rider network may reduce incremental capital expenditure. However, Taurani warned that 'the absence of a dedicated fleet may compromise the delivery experience, especially with rising sub-30 minute delivery expectations.' Elara's sensitivity analysis suggested that even a moderate impact from Rapido could lead to a 6 per cent cut in the target price of Eternal (Zomato), should revenue growth or valuation multiples weaken due to pricing pressures. HSBC analysts Yogesh Aggarwal, Prateek Maheshwari and Sagar Desai pointed out that while the underlying cost structures of two-wheeler ride-sharing and food delivery are similar, scaling food delivery demands sustained execution. They argued that "customer experience, ability to execute, and achieving scale remain key challenges" for Rapido. The analysts also flagged that long-term industry growth is already moderating, with most of the incremental demand expected to come from higher order frequencies rather than significant customer base expansion. Kotak Institutional Equities, in its sector alert, described Rapido's entry as having 'no immediate impact' on the incumbents. It reiterated that Zomato and Swiggy have built significant operational moats in logistics, customer loyalty, and dense restaurant partnerships, making material share shifts unlikely in the near term.


New Indian Express
12 hours ago
- New Indian Express
From Scarcity to Strategy: Reimagining Rare Earths in India's EV Growth Story
By :Dr. Satchidananda Tripathy, Assistant Professor, Paari School of Business- SRM University -AP( Amaravati) The recent global panic triggered by China's rare-earth export restrictions has once again exposed the fragility of the electric vehicle (EV) industry's most critical raw material backbone. Neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium—key components in EV motor magnets—have become flashpoints in a larger geopolitical contest that could upend supply chains and stall clean energy ambitions worldwide. For India, which has committed to aggressive EV adoption and aims to become a global automotive manufacturing hub, this crisis is both a warning and an opportunity. The Supply Shock: A Global Red Flag China currently controls over 90% of global rare-earth refining and over 85% of permanent magnet manufacturing. Its recent decision to limit exports of NdFeB magnets has caused global automakers to scramble. Ford has already paused production in Chicago; German OEMs are sounding alarms; and some EU plants may shut down as early as July due to material shortages. While Western nations are racing to diversify rare-earth supply chains, it is becoming increasingly clear that new mining or refining capacity will take years—time the EV industry may not have. The Strategic Shift: Demand-Side Innovation Stockpiling can buffer short-term shocks, but long-term resilience will come from rethinking our dependency. Companies like Nissan, Renault, and U.S.-based Niron Magnetics are already exploring rare-earth-free motor technologies. Similarly, acoustic and mobility startups are building systems around alternative materials. India must embrace this wave of 'engineered demand reduction'—by promoting R&D in magnet-free motors, incentivizing design optimization, and investing in academic–industry partnerships focused on material substitution. If India can lead in developing rare-earth-efficient or rare-earth-free EV technology, it won't just solve a supply chain problem—it will create a strategic export opportunity.


Economic Times
14 hours ago
- Economic Times
ஸ்விக்கி, ஜொமாட்டோ-க்கு டஃப் கொடுக்க வருகிறது Rapido Ownly.. ரூ.199-க்கு உணவு கிடைக்கும்!
rapido ownly launch in bangalore the price difference give huge competition to swiggy and zomato