Can Rapido’s ‘Ownly’ Really Disrupt the Swiggy-Zomato Duopoly?

In partnership with

Salutations, Olio aficionados! 👋

Welcome to the 168th edition of Weekly Olio. We’re thrilled to introduce a fresh new twist to your Sundays: Publisher Parmesan, our hand-picked, thoughtfully crafted edition designed to spark inspiration and insights for the week ahead.

It’s the perfect way to unwind, recharge, and prepare for the week with something truly worth savoring.

If you’re new here and you’re looking for more long-form, crispy writing, click the link to subscribe under this GIF 👇

A word from our Sponsors…

Save $499 and Skip Inventory Headaches

With tariffs rising, tracking margins is more important than ever.

inFlow makes it easy to manage inventory, costs, and shipping—all in one place. Rated 4.6 stars across 500+ reviews on Capterra

Try it free and save $499 with code EASY499—limited time only.

✅ See how others are adapting with inFlow in our case studies

Save $499—Start Free

Can Rapido’s ‘Ownly’ Really Disrupt the Swiggy-Zomato Duopoly?

For nearly a decade, Swiggy and Zomato have defined food delivery in India. Their dominance hasn’t just shaped what ends up on our plates—it’s also set the tone for how restaurants, customers, and gig workers interact with this ecosystem. Attempts to challenge this duopoly have come and gone, often with big names and bigger wallets: UberEats, Ola, Coca-Cola-backed Thrive, and even government-backed initiatives like ONDC. Most have flamed out before even getting a real taste of market share.

But now, there's a new challenger—and this one might actually have a shot.

Bangalore-based ride-hailing unicorn Rapido has announced its entry into the food delivery space with a new platform called Ownly (yes, spelled with a “W”). On paper, it looks like another upstart trying to dent a deeply entrenched industry. In reality, this might be one of the most strategically timed and structurally different bets we’ve seen in a while.

Let’s break down why.

Rapido isn’t entering from scratch. With 4 million riders across 500 Indian cities and 30 million monthly active users, it already operates one of the country’s most robust logistics networks. That’s a massive advantage in a market where delivery infrastructure is often the most expensive and complicated hurdle.

And it’s not just about scale—it’s about lessons learned. Rapido entered India’s ride-hailing space long after Uber and Ola had carved it up. Yet it found whitespace, primarily by focusing on two-wheelers and lower commissions. That playbook seems to be coming out again.

A Bold Pricing Model

At the heart of Ownly’s pitch is pricing—and more importantly, transparency. Anyone who’s ordered food online knows the pain: your ₹250 meal balloons to ₹400 after platform fees, packaging charges, delivery fees, and taxes—not to mention the often-inflated menu prices.

Rapido is challenging all of that.

• Zero commissions for restaurants

• No platform fee

• No packaging fee

• Delivery fees ranging from ₹20 to ₹50 based on order size

• A ₹10 charge for orders under ₹100

If that sounds unsustainable, that’s because it probably is—at least in the short term. But Rapido is playing a different game.

So, How Will Rapido Make Money?

It’s a fair question. After all, this is a company reportedly burning $5 million a month. So what’s the real monetization plan?

Here’s how Rapido is thinking:

1. Volume, Not Margin: Ownly is going the opposite direction of Swiggy and Zomato, which are constantly trying to push up average order values. Rapido wants to pull in the value-conscious user who has so far stayed away from online delivery due to price. To do this, it’s requiring restaurant partners to list at least four meals under ₹150. Think low-ticket, high-frequency—a very Flipkart-in-2012 kind of move.

2. Subscription Over Commission: Instead of charging per-order commissions, Rapido plans to implement a flat monthly subscription fee for restaurants. This model already works in its ride-hailing business and gives restaurants predictability in their costs.

3. Advertising & Data: Perhaps the most intriguing (and underdiscussed) revenue stream is advertising. Rapido plans to allow restaurants to advertise on Ownly and access customer data to run targeted marketing campaigns. Think Amazon’s ad business for food—this could be a serious long-term play.

Why Now?

Rapido’s timing is savvy. It comes amid rising dissatisfaction from restaurants over high commissions (often 25–30%) and increasing customer fatigue with ballooning prices. There’s appetite—for food, yes, but also for alternatives.

The company has also been in close collaboration with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), which represents over 500,000 restaurants. This isn’t just another pilot with a flashy press release; it’s the result of six months of groundwork and strategy discussions with key industry stakeholders.

More importantly, Rapido is flush with fresh funding—$30 million from Prosus and a $200 million round led by Westbridge Capital. That runway gives them time to test, fail, learn, and iterate.

HR is lonely. It doesn’t have to be.

The best HR advice comes from those in the trenches. That’s what this is: real-world HR insights delivered in a newsletter from Hebba Youssef, a Chief People Officer who’s been there. Practical, real strategies with a dash of humor. Because HR shouldn’t be thankless—and you shouldn’t be alone in it.

Sign Up Free

But There Are Real Risks

None of this will be easy. Swiggy and Zomato have a ten-year head start, deeper restaurant integrations, and robust data pipelines. Customer loyalty—especially around food—is hard-earned and easily lost. And then there’s the cutthroat battle for delivery partners, a battle that Swiggy has already tried to win with innovative tactics.

Ironically, Swiggy owns 15% of Rapido, thanks to a ₹950 crore investment. Two years ago, it even ran a pilot to allow delivery partners to switch between food orders and bike taxi rides—on Rapido’s platform. That test had mixed results, but it proved one thing: Swiggy is watching closely, and they know Rapido's potential.

Rapido may not be able to rely on eternally low prices and zero commissions. To scale and remain competitive, margins will have to creep up. And the economics of food delivery—high fixed costs, low margin, customer expectation of freebies—will eventually catch up.

The Bigger Picture

What Rapido is really betting on is structural disruption. Instead of fighting the duopoly with the same tools, it’s rewriting the rules.

• Affordable pricing? Check.

• Commission-free model for restaurants? Check.

• Transparent delivery fees and subscription-based monetization? Check.

If it works, it doesn’t just mean success for Ownly—it could force Swiggy and Zomato to rethink their own models. That’s good news for restaurants, who’ve long felt squeezed. And great news for customers, who just want affordable, fast, honest food delivery.

But bold vision must meet execution. Can Rapido deliver meals and scale at the same time?

As the pilot kicks off in Bangalore, the rest of India—and a wary duopoly—will be watching.

The food delivery market in India is ripe for reinvention. Rapido's “Ownly” is making all the right noises. Whether it can back those up with real operational strength is the million (or billion) dollar question.

Interested in learning more about food delivery space? Check out our previous coverage here:

• The Great Reset of 10-Minute Delivery Apps in India

• Swiggy IPO serves next dish in Indian food wars

• Where is Delivery Hero headed?

• Why Keeta’s Success in Hong Kong Sets the Stage for Expansion in Saudi Arabia

Your Wedding Tux Is Free (Seriously)

Getting married shouldn't mean having to settle for an ill-fitting tux from a fluorescent-lit warehouse. The Black Tux delivers premium tuxedos and suits that actually fit—whether you rent or buy—with free home try-ons so you're confident on the biggest day of your life. Or visit one of our showrooms nationwide for hands-on styling.

Here's the best part: when your groomsmen order with us, your wedding look is completely free. High-end style, perfect fit, zero cost–plus free nationwide shipping for your entire crew.

Get your wedding tux for free →

That’s all for this week. If you enjoyed this edition, we’d really appreciate if you shared it with a friend, family member or colleague.

We’ll be back in your inbox 2 PM IST next Sunday. Till then, have a productive week!

Peeyush and Mohit

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author's employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.