Food delivery might finally be getting a shake-up, and perhaps a bit cheaper, too. Ride-hailing app Rapido is making a fresh push into the food delivery space, offering restaurants a dramatically lower-cost alternative to Zomato and Swiggy, according to people familiar with the development.
Though Rapido has quietly been delivering food for some time, its new partnership with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) marks a formal entry into the space with its own ordering platform. Set to go live by late June or early July, the initiative will begin in Bengaluru and expand to other cities in phases.
What makes this move different is the cost structure. Rapido plans to charge restaurants a commission of just 8–15% per order, almost half of the 16–30% cut that Zomato and Swiggy typically take. On top of that, it will levy a flat fee of Rs 25 for orders below Rs 400 and Rs 50 for higher-value orders.
For restaurants, especially smaller ones, this could be a game-changer. “This structure is far more sustainable,” said a person involved in the partnership. “It gives restaurants more breathing room on margins and greater control over their customer data, something the larger platforms don’t easily offer.” “This is the kind of economically viable and democratic solution the industry needs,” added NRAI president Sagar Daryani. “We’re in active conversations with Rapido and ONDC to support models that work better for restaurant businesses.”
Rapido hasn’t commented publicly on the initiative, but its delivery riders are already active in the space, having been contracted by Swiggy in select cities. The new plan, however, would bring restaurants directly onto Rapido’s own platform, giving it a more central role in the food delivery ecosystem. The timing couldn’t be more relevant. Many independent restaurants have been voicing frustration with the existing duopoly. Vandit Malik, founder of The Garlic Bread, recently wrote on LinkedIn that the cost of advertising on Zomato, over Rs 30 per order just to stay visible, was eating into already-thin margins. Another NCR-based restaurant, Saffroma, said in a now-deleted post that it was quitting Zomato entirely over “mystery charges” and unauthorised ad spends. While it’s too soon to say whether customers will see cheaper prices immediately, the move could reduce the financial pressure on restaurants, and over time, that might just mean lower prices, better food, and more choice for eaters.