Rapido is gearing up to pilot its new food delivery service, Ownly, in Bengaluru within the next eight to 10 days, beginning with the areas of Koramangala, HSR Layout, and Sarjapur. Rather than rushing into a broad launch, the company aims to test and refine the model before expanding to ten cities by July next year.
Initially planned for a bigger rollout in August, the timeline has shifted to a smaller trial in July to gather early insights. Bengaluru will be the core focus for the first few months, with a gradual expansion to two to three more cities by September or October, the report stated.
Backed by investors like Prosus, Nexus Venture Partners, and WestBridge Capital, Rapido is positioning Ownly as a low-commission alternative to dominant players like Zomato and Swiggy. Its proposed restaurant commission rates range from eight to 15 per cent, notably lower than the 16–30 per cent charged by current leaders.
Ahead of the launch, Rapido is also negotiating an MoU with restaurant associations to align on mutual goals, the report said. Restaurants are asking for access to customer data, something they’ve been denied by current platforms, while Rapido wants partner eateries to offer competitive pricing and minimal packaging fees.
A restaurateur familiar with the discussions told the publication that Rapido is trying to build a more restaurant-friendly model from the outset, potentially avoiding the friction seen with Zomato and Swiggy. Rapido is also encouraging partners to feature affordable dishes under ?150 as part of a sub- ?150 offering on the app.
Interestingly, Swiggy — an investor in Rapido — has just launched its own budget-focused ?99 menu, setting the stage for intensified competition.