Rapido Integrates Ownly Into Main App, Expands Push Into Food Delivery
Rapido has integrated Ownly into its main app in Bengaluru, expanding its food delivery business with a zero-commission model for restaurants.
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Ride-hailing platform Rapido has launched its food delivery service Only in its main app, a big move in its expansion into India’s very competitive online food delivery market.
The integration will allow users in Bengaluru to order food via the Rapido app in addition to its existing offering of food, bike taxis, auto-rickshaws and cab rides.
This move propels Rapido into the next phase of its strategy to build an alternative to food delivery leaders Swiggy and Zomato. The company hopes to leverage Ownly’s huge monthly active user base and promote its food delivery service to ride-hailing customers by integrating the service onto its mobility platform.
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Zero-Commission Model:
Ownly started as a stand-alone app and works on a zero-commission model. Instead of taking a cut of every order, restaurants keep all the money from orders and pay a monthly subscription to access the platform.
The company said the model gives restaurants more predictable operating costs while allowing customers to order at menu prices with no additional platform markups.
"Ownly was created to address one of the biggest structural challenges in food delivery, improving the business for restaurants without compromising the customer experience," said Rapido co-founder Aravind Sanka in a statement.
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The integration will provide Rapido with a competitive edge as the ride-hailing segment in India has a much larger user base than the online food ordering segment. The company hopes this will convert current mobility users into food delivery customers.
The company is also using its existing logistics network to offer better delivery efficiency. Rapido plans to use the same rider fleet for transport and food deliveries, which is expected to help reduce logistics costs and enhance rider utilisation during non-peak mobility hours.
Reports suggest Ownly has already signed up almost 20,000 restaurants. Rapido is also providing promotional incentives, including 50% discount of up to ₹100 on first orders placed through Ownly as part of the rollout.
