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Bengaluru
Walmart-owned e-commerce major Flipkart is preparing to enter India’s competitive online food delivery market, intensifying its challenge to established players Zomato and Swiggy. The company has expanded internal trials of its service to more than 8,000 employees and is preparing for a public launch, according to a report by TechCrunch published on October 19.
The service, branded “Eat-in by Minutes”, is being tested in Bengaluru and is expected to be integrated into Flipkart’s existing shopping app. The company has also deployed a dedicated delivery fleet through its logistics arm, Ekart, separate from the riders handling its quick-commerce operations. A wider rollout could cover five or six cities by the end of 2026, according to the report.
Flipkart’s food delivery platform draws on restaurants listed on the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), alongside establishments that the company has onboarded directly. The approach could help the company expand its restaurant network while leveraging its existing digital platform and logistics capabilities.
The entry comes as India’s online food delivery market continues to grow, with brokerage firm Bernstein estimating annual growth of 18-20%. Zomato, operated by Eternal, and Swiggy together serve an estimated 85 million to 95 million paying customers annually, underlining the challenge facing new entrants.
Flipkart is also seeking to attract restaurant partners through lower commissions. According to the report, the company has proposed a base commission of around 10%, compared with the 20-25% typically charged by established platforms. Lower operating costs could make the service attractive to restaurants seeking alternatives, although winning customers from incumbent platforms remains a key challenge.
Competition is already intensifying, with ride-hailing company Rapido expanding its Ownly food delivery service, while Swiggy has introduced Toing to target budget-conscious consumers.
Flipkart’s proposed expansion follows its push into quick commerce through Minutes.