A New Player Enters the Kitchen
For years, when hunger struck late at night or when office lunches felt too boring, Indians opened their phones and clicked on either Swiggy or Zomato. These two apps became so dominant that for many, “ordering food” became synonymous with them.
But in August 2025, a new challenger rang the doorbell. Rapido, the company you probably know for bike-taxis and autos, quietly dropped a surprise: a food delivery service called Ownly.
And this isn’t just another delivery app—it’s Rapido’s biggest gamble yet, aimed at rewriting the rules of the food delivery game.
Why Rapido Stepped Into Food Delivery
Rapido has been around since 2015, ferrying people across chaotic Indian cities on bikes and autos. If you’ve ever been stuck in Bengaluru traffic, chances are you’ve hopped on a Rapido bike at least once.
So why jump into food delivery now?
Simple: the opportunity is massive. India’s food delivery market is expected to cross $30 billion by 2030, and right now it’s pretty much split between two giants. Rapido already has millions of drivers and delivery partners, so moving into food delivery was less a leap and more a natural extension.
As one Rapido executive put it:
“We already move people and parcels. Why not meals too?”
Bengaluru First: Testing the Waters
Rapido chose Bengaluru—its home turf and India’s tech capital—for the pilot launch. But it didn’t spread itself too thin. Instead, it focused on a few busy neighborhoods like Koramangala, HSR Layout, and BTM Layout.
Why these areas? Because they’re full of young professionals, students, and startups—basically, people who live on food delivery. It’s the perfect testing ground to see if Ownly can win hearts (and stomachs).
Breaking the Old Rules: No Commission for Restaurants
Here’s where Rapido really shakes things up.
- On Swiggy and Zomato, restaurants usually pay 16–30% commission on every order.
- For small eateries, that’s brutal. Many have to hike up their online prices just to survive.
Rapido’s Ownly throws this out the window with a zero-commission model.
Instead, it uses a simple, fixed-fee system:
- Orders under ₹100 → Customer pays ₹20, restaurant pays ₹10.
- Orders ₹100–₹400 → Customer pays ₹25 + GST.
- Orders above ₹400 → Customer pays ₹50 flat.
No hidden charges, no massive cuts from restaurants.
A small dosa shop owner in Koramangala summed it up:
“On other apps, my ₹80 masala dosa shows up at ₹100 or more because of commissions. With Ownly, I can keep it at ₹80, and the customer still pays less overall. That’s fair to both sides.”
Customers Save Too
This new model doesn’t just help restaurants—it makes food cheaper for customers too.
Analysts estimate that prices on Ownly could be 10–15% lower compared to Swiggy or Zomato. For a college student ordering dinner five nights a week, that saving adds up fast.
Imagine this: you and your roommate usually order a ₹300 biryani meal each on Zomato. After fees and markups, it costs nearly ₹700 for two. On Ownly, it could be closer to ₹600. That’s a hundred bucks saved—enough for a chai-and-samosa break the next day.
Rapido’s Hidden Ace: Its Huge Fleet
One reason new apps fail in food delivery is logistics—it’s expensive and messy. But Rapido already has an army on the road.
Its bike-taxi and auto drivers can double up as food delivery partners. That means faster delivery for customers, extra income for drivers, and lower costs for Rapido.
One Rapido rider said he was excited about the change:
“In the morning I get auto rides, in the afternoon I might deliver food, and in the evening I pick up passengers again. It keeps the day busy and the earnings steady.”
Trouble in Paradise: The Swiggy Twist
Here’s where things get really interesting. Swiggy isn’t just a rival—it actually owns around 12% of Rapido.
Now that Rapido is directly competing with it, Swiggy is reportedly reconsidering whether to keep that stake. Imagine investing in a friend’s business, only for them to open a shop right next to yours selling the same thing at cheaper prices—that’s the situation Swiggy finds itself in.
Restaurants Finally See Hope
For years, restaurant owners have complained about being at the mercy of Swiggy and Zomato. Many felt trapped: they had to be on the platforms to reach customers, but the high commissions ate into their profits.
Now, Ownly is giving them hope.
A Bengaluru café owner explained:
“Every month I lose lakhs in commissions. I either raise prices online or accept low margins. With Rapido’s model, maybe I don’t have to do either. It feels like someone finally thought about us too, not just the customers.”
But It Won’t Be Easy
Still, Rapido has a tough road ahead.
- Brand Loyalty – Swiggy and Zomato have been around for years. People are used to their apps, deals, and loyalty programs. Changing habits won’t be easy.
- Discount Wars – Both incumbents have deep pockets. They could counter Rapido by offering aggressive discounts or free delivery.
- Scaling Up – Managing thousands of restaurants and deliveries across India is a massive task. One delay or bad experience can put off users.
- Government Scrutiny – Labor rights, food safety, and pricing practices are all hot topics. Rapido will need to tread carefully.
What This Means for You and Me
For regular people, Rapido’s entry is almost certainly good news. More competition usually means:
- Cheaper prices,
- Faster service,
- More restaurant choices.
For restaurants, it could mean finally breaking free from the tight grip of Swiggy and Zomato.
And for delivery partners, it could mean more orders in a day and higher earnings.
The Bigger Picture: Cracking a Duopoly
India’s food delivery market hasn’t seen a serious new competitor since UberEats, which Zomato acquired in 2020. Since then, it’s been a two-player game.
Ownly changes that. Even if Rapido captures only a fraction of the market, it will force the big two to rethink commissions and pricing. In the long run, it could reshape how food delivery works in India.
What’s Next?
For now, Rapido is watching Bengaluru closely. If things go well, the company may expand Ownly to Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, and Chennai by next year.
The big question is: will Rapido stick to its zero-commission promise when it scales? Or will pressure from investors and competition force changes down the line?
Either way, the coming months will be crucial.
Conclusion: Can Rapido Deliver?
Rapido’s Ownly is more than just another app on your phone—it’s a bold challenge to an entrenched duopoly. By betting on fairness for restaurants and savings for customers, Rapido is trying to win trust in a market where habits are hard to break.
But the odds are tough. Swiggy and Zomato won’t sit quietly while a new player eats into their plates. Expect price wars, ad campaigns, and lots of strategic moves in the coming months.
For now, Bengaluru foodies are the first to taste this experiment. If Rapido succeeds here, it could change the way the rest of India orders food. And who knows? A few years from now, when hunger strikes, you might hear a new line at home: