Flipkart Eyes Food Delivery Market, Rollout to Begin in Coming Weeks

Walmart-owned Flipkart is set to enter India's online food delivery market in the coming weeks, taking on established players such as Eternal-owned Zomato and Swiggy as competition in the sector intensifies.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, Flipkart Group Chief Executive Officer Kalyan Krishnamurthy said the company would begin with a limited launch before expanding the service across the country.

"We will launch food delivery in the next few weeks," Krishnamurthy told the publication, adding that Flipkart would first test the product with customers, gather feedback and improve the offering before scaling it.

Phased Rollout, ONDC Integration Expected

Krishnamurthy said the food delivery service will be available through both a standalone app and the Flipkart app. However, he did not reveal the branding or the first launch city.

According to the publication, Flipkart is expected to roll out the service through an integration with the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). Krishnamurthy, however, did not comment on how the food delivery business would be structured.

The phased rollout mirrors Flipkart's approach with Flipkart Minutes, where the company tested its quick commerce offering before expanding to more markets.

Competition Heats Up in Food Delivery

Flipkart's entry comes as several companies experiment with new business models in India's food delivery market. Ride-hailing platform Rapido recently launched Ownly, positioning it as a low-cost alternative with zero restaurant commissions, while Swiggy has introduced Toing, targeting value-conscious consumers.

According to Moneycontrol, Eternal, the parent company of Zomato, has downplayed the threat from newer entrants, arguing that their initial growth is largely driven by discounts rather than a fundamentally different customer proposition. Founder Deepinder Goyal has said future innovation in food delivery will come from the supply side through offerings such as Bistro, the company's quick food delivery business.

Krishnamurthy said Flipkart would enter the category only if it believed it could offer customers something different. He added that the company aims to innovate not only on pricing but also on selection, service, reliability and the overall customer experience. Over time, Flipkart also plans to build a comprehensive restaurant catalogue as it expands the service across India.