Latest news with #Daryani
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Rapido enters food aggregation with 'Ownly' platform, partners NRAI
Ride-hailing platform Rapido is set to foray into the food delivery segment with the launch of a new online platform called Ownly, which will allow customers to browse and order from restaurants. The mobility startup has also entered into a non-exclusive partnership with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), which represents over 50,000 eateries across the country. The pilot for Ownly is expected to begin in select areas of Bengaluru by the last week of June or the first week of July. The new platform will operate on a zero-commission model, charging restaurants a flat subscription fee. Under the agreement, restaurants will not be permitted to add packaging charges separately, and pricing across online and offline channels will be kept uniform. This means customers will pay only the listed price plus GST—no platform or restaurant mark-ups. 'The price of a dish (excluding GST) is the final price the customer pays. There is no other addition from us or a restaurant partner,' the terms and conditions (T&C) state. Business Standard has reviewed a copy of the T&C between the two platforms. As per the agreed terms, restaurant partners will bear the delivery fee for all orders within a standard radius of 4 km. For orders valued at ₹100 or less, the delivery cost will be ₹10, of which the customer will pay ₹20. For orders above ₹100 and below ₹400, the delivery cost will be ₹25 plus applicable GST. For orders exceeding ₹400, the cost rises to ₹50. Welcoming more players in the food delivery space, Sagar Daryani, president of NRAI, said, 'From what we feel, Rapido has shared a proposal with us that is economically viable and democratic. In principle, they have even agreed to share the consumer database with us. The market will only grow if food becomes cheaper. When food is more affordable, our pricing comes down, and we get more business.' Daryani added that the NRAI will continue engaging with other platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, and ONDC. An NRAI executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the Ownly model could reduce the total fee (including discounts, delivery, and commissions) from up to 30 per cent—as levied by incumbents like Zomato and Swiggy—to nearly half. Rapido, which already has a network of over 2 million two-wheeler riders, may also allow restaurants to opt for self-delivery if they have their own logistics capabilities. The company did not respond to Business Standard's queries till press time. Amit Bagga, co-founder and CEO of Daryaganj Restaurants, said the initiative could be particularly beneficial for small and independent restaurants. 'This move could be truly beneficial for small, independent restaurants by offering them more options and potentially better margins. However, much will depend on how effectively Rapido executes its logistics. Timely deliveries, especially during peak hours, and consistent rider availability are critical. The success of this initiative will ultimately rely on how well Rapido can manage end-to-end logistics and maintain service standards,' Bagga said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Rapido cuts food delivery charges by half to counter Zomato, Swiggy
Ride-hailing app Rapido has finalised online food delivery partnership costs and terms with restaurants at nearly half the commissions from entrenched rivals Swiggy and Zomato , challenging the duopoly, people directly aware of the developments said. According to the agreed terms with industry body National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI), Rapido is expected to charge commissions in the range of 8-15% from restaurants, compared to 16-30% Zomato and Swiggy charge, the executives said. The partnership terms state Rapido will charge a fixed fee of Rs 25 on orders below Rs 400 and Rs 50 on orders over Rs 400, the people quoted earlier said. This translates to a range of 8-15% commissions from restaurants, compared to 16-30% charged by Zomato and Swiggy. Consumers will be able to place orders on the Rapido app where restaurants will be listed. "This will specially help small restaurants ," one of the executives mentioned above said. The pilot is expected to go live in June-end or first week of July, starting with Bengaluru . "We've been in discussion with Rapido over the last few months just the way we are working closely with ONDC. We are discussing a structure which is economically and democratically much more viable for restaurants to sustain," NRAI president Sagar Daryani said. He declined to comment on specific partner terms. "It's also very important for us to know our customers and the same has been candidly communicated to them," Daryani added. Allegations of data masking have been a core point of disagreement between restaurants and the large platforms. An email seeking comments from Rapido remained unanswered. The ride-hailing unicorn's bike-taxi riders currently have a select 'idle-time' arrangement with Swiggy to deliver food in select cities, but the arrangement is non-exclusive. The NRAI, which represents over 500,000 restaurants, had initiated a similar partnership with the government-backed ONDC in January, but the terms are still being ironed out amid slower traction. Recent months have seen multiple small restaurant owners calling out what they alleged are "steep charges" levied by Zomato and Swiggy. "Zomato is becoming unsustainable for small restaurant owners like us," Vandit Malik, founder, The Garlic Bread, wrote on Linkedin three weeks back. "To even be visible on the platform, I'm forced to spend Rs 30+ per order on ads. What's left? Pennies. Sometimes, not even that," he alleged. The owners of another NCR-based small restaurant, Saffroma, wrote on X last week, which went viral, that it was quitting Zomato alleging "zero payouts, mystery service charges and advertisements initiated without approval." The post has since been deleted.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Rapido cuts food delivery charges by half to counter Zomato, Swiggy
Ride-hailing app Rapido has finalised online food delivery partnership costs and terms with restaurants at nearly half the commissions from entrenched rivals Swiggy and Zomato , challenging the duopoly, people directly aware of the developments said. According to the agreed terms with industry body National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI), Rapido is expected to charge commissions in the range of 8-15% from restaurants, compared to 16-30% Zomato and Swiggy charge, the executives said. The partnership terms state Rapido will charge a fixed fee of Rs 25 on orders below Rs 400 and Rs 50 on orders over Rs 400, the people quoted earlier said. This translates to a range of 8-15% commissions from restaurants, compared to 16-30% charged by Zomato and Swiggy. Consumers will be able to place orders on the Rapido app where restaurants will be listed. "This will specially help small restaurants ," one of the executives mentioned above said. The pilot is expected to go live in June-end or first week of July, starting with Bengaluru . ETtech "We've been in discussion with Rapido over the last few months just the way we are working closely with ONDC. We are discussing a structure which is economically and democratically much more viable for restaurants to sustain," NRAI president Sagar Daryani said. He declined to comment on specific partner terms. "It's also very important for us to know our customers and the same has been candidly communicated to them," Daryani added. Allegations of data masking have been a core point of disagreement between restaurants and the large platforms. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories An email seeking comments from Rapido remained unanswered. The ride-hailing unicorn's bike-taxi riders currently have a select 'idle-time' arrangement with Swiggy to deliver food in select cities, but the arrangement is non-exclusive. The NRAI, which represents over 500,000 restaurants, had initiated a similar partnership with the government-backed ONDC in January, but the terms are still being ironed out amid slower traction. Recent months have seen multiple small restaurant owners calling out what they alleged are "steep charges" levied by Zomato and Swiggy. "Zomato is becoming unsustainable for small restaurant owners like us," Vandit Malik, founder, The Garlic Bread, wrote on Linkedin three weeks back. "To even be visible on the platform, I'm forced to spend Rs 30+ per order on ads. What's left? Pennies. Sometimes, not even that," he alleged. The owners of another NCR-based small restaurant, Saffroma, wrote on X last week, which went viral, that it was quitting Zomato alleging "zero payouts, mystery service charges and advertisements initiated without approval." The post has since been deleted.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
IPL final spurs double-digit surge in food delivery, dine-in
Bengaluru: The IPL 2025 final on Tuesday delivered a significant boost to restaurants, with both delivery and dine-in channels recording double-digit growth across metros and tier 2 markets, said industry executives. Food delivery volumes rose by 10 to 15 per cent compared to the previous weekend, with platforms witnessing peak demand during the evening match hours. According to Sagar Daryani, founder and CEO, WoW Momo, delivery grew 12 to 14 per cent week-on-week, while dine-in and takeaway increased 8 to 10 per cent. 'Peak time orders (7 to 10 pm) rose by over 12 per cent compared to previous IPL match days,' Daryani said, adding that late-night orders surged by 20 per cent and average ticket sizes increased 10 per cent, driven by combos and party packs. At Lenexis Foodworks, delivery and dine-in sales in Bengaluru and cities across Punjab, including Mohali, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, and Amritsar, grew 25 to 35 per cent, outperforming national averages. 'The delivery business showed a notably higher share in the evening hours compared to the afternoon, a trend that aligns with match timings,' said Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal, founder and director of the company. Restaurant footfalls jump across metro and non-metro markets Offline formats also saw strong traction. Zorawar Kalra, founder and MD, Massive Restaurants, reported a 30 per cent increase in footfall and up to a 50 per cent jump in sales across Delhi-NCR and other key markets. 'Bar nibbles and pizzas were fan favourites, making up over 40 per cent of offline orders,' said Kalra, who operates brands such as Masala Library, Pa Pa Ya, Farzi Cafe and more. He also noted an uptick in tier 2 and 3 markets, where dining traffic grew by 50 per cent compared to a regular weekday. Boba Bhai, a beverage-first D2C brand, reported a 3X spike in orders during the final, with Bengaluru alone contributing over 40 per cent of total volumes. '60 per cent of demand came through food delivery apps, while the remaining 40 per cent was from walk-ins,' said Dhruv Kohli, founder, Boba Bhai.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Resto body in court, tells members to ‘stick to law'
1 2 Kolkata: The National Restaurants' Association of India (NRAI), which on Monday filed a writ petition in Calcutta High Court against the closure of rooftop restaurants , has issued an advisory to members asking them to do a thorough check of all safety norms. Around 90% of rooftop restaurants that don't have an enclosed space have shut down completely. The rest are operating their indoor spaces, which has taken a severe toll on their business, according to NRAI. The city has around a thousand rooftop and open-terrace restaurants. "We are waiting for the hearing of our petition on Tuesday. Those rooftop eateries that are heavily dependent on their outdoor spaces have closed down. We have also asked our members and presume that they will operate their indoor sections in case it's feasible. So, most are doing it. There should be no legal hurdle to this since the KMC notification does not bar indoor restaurants from functioning," said NRAI president Sagar Daryani. The Hotel and Restaurants' Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) has also held a meeting and asked all its member-restaurants to 'adhere to law'. It has also decided to seek legal opinion on the issue. The HRAEI managing committee has decided to write to mayor Firhad Hakim and seek his intervention. HRAEI president Sudesh Poddar said none of its members had received a closure notice yet. "Some restaurants might have received notices regarding illegal constructions. We will wait for the mayor's response and then plan our next step," added Poddar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Even though the NRAI advisory did not mention illegal structures, it expects member-restaurants to take 'corrective measures' on their own in case they've violated the norms, said Daryani. "We are not aware of illegal constructions and it is up to the KMC to check and take steps. But we expect all our members to strictly follow the rules. Those who have transgressed should face civic action. But till anyone is found guilty, we will stand by them," added Daryani. Around 50% of the revenue of rooftop eateries is generated from their open-air sections. "It varies from season to season and peaks in winter. In summer and monsoon, the rooftops are less crowded. But people's preferences have changed and many enjoy the rooftop experience and visit restaurants for it. Not more than 5% are fully open-air, though, but the rest will lose customers without the rooftops," said Daryani.
