Rapido Launches ‘Ownly’ Food Delivery App in Bengaluru with Zero-Commission Model

Indian ride-hailing platform Rapido has officially entered the food delivery sector with the launch of its standalone app Ownly in Bengaluru. The company is taking a bold approach by introducing a zero-commission model for restaurants, positioning itself as a transparent and restaurant-friendly alternative to established players like Swiggy and Zomato. With its citywide rollout, Rapido is betting that its hyperlocal logistics network can disrupt India’s competitive food delivery market.

Rapido Enters Food Delivery with Ownly App

Full-Scale Launch in Bengaluru

Bike taxi and logistics company Rapido has officially launched its food delivery platform Ownly across Bengaluru, marking its formal entry into India’s highly competitive online food delivery market.

The launch follows a pilot phase that began in August 2025, when the application quietly appeared on the Google Play Store in select Bengaluru neighbourhoods such as Koramangala, HSR Layout, and BTM Layout. After testing the platform in these areas, Rapido has now expanded the service across the entire city.

With this rollout, the company is preparing to compete directly with major food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato, which currently dominate India’s online food ordering ecosystem.

Zero-Commission Model for Restaurants

A Different Pricing Strategy

One of the most distinctive features of Ownly is its zero-commission policy for restaurants. Unlike many existing platforms that charge restaurants a percentage commission on each order, Rapido has decided not to collect commissions from restaurant partners.

Instead, the platform will generate revenue by charging delivery fees directly to customers. This approach is designed to simplify pricing and avoid hidden costs that restaurants often face on traditional food delivery platforms.

Rapido describes this approach as “price honesty.” According to the company, the goal is to ensure customers pay only for the actual cost of food and delivery, without additional platform charges or artificially inflated menu prices.

Rapido’s Vision for the Food Delivery Market

Founder Aravind Sanka’s Perspective

According to Aravind Sanka, founder of Rapido and Ownly, consumer behaviour in India is evolving rapidly.

Food ordering has increasingly become a part of everyday life across the country. While it was once mostly limited to metropolitan cities, the trend has expanded significantly into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Sanka explained that Ownly aims to create a restaurant-first ecosystem, where both small and large food businesses can benefit from transparent pricing and improved economics.

He highlighted transparency, fairness and simplicity as the core principles behind the platform’s long-term strategy. According to the company, the goal is to make food delivery more accessible while maintaining sustainable growth for restaurant partners.

India’s Competitive Food Delivery Landscape

A Market Dominated by Two Giants

India’s online food delivery sector is estimated to be worth around $8 billion annually, making it one of the fastest-growing digital commerce categories in the country.

Currently, the market is largely dominated by Swiggy and Zomato, both of which have built massive restaurant networks and extensive delivery fleets over the years.

These companies have also diversified their services into adjacent sectors such as quick commerce, grocery delivery and cloud kitchens.

However, the food delivery business is known to be highly margin-sensitive. Companies often face significant expenses related to:

• Customer acquisition

• Delivery partner payouts

• Promotional discounts

• Technology infrastructure

Because of these costs, several smaller competitors have struggled to scale sustainably in recent years.

Rapido’s Logistics Network as a Competitive Advantage

Leveraging the Captain Network

One of Rapido’s biggest advantages in entering the food delivery sector is its existing hyperlocal logistics network.

Originally developed for bike taxi rides and parcel deliveries, the network already operates across several Indian cities. Food deliveries on Ownly will be handled by Rapido’s delivery partners, known as Captains.

By using its existing delivery infrastructure, the company hopes to reduce operational costs and improve delivery efficiency.

This strategy could potentially help Rapido compete with established platforms without incurring the heavy logistics investments typically required in the food delivery industry.

Focus on Everyday Low Prices

Moving Away from Discount Wars

Unlike many competitors that rely heavily on discount-driven marketing campaigns, Ownly aims to focus on consistent low pricing.

The company recently launched a marketing campaign titled “Food Promise.” The campaign features a courtroom-style advertisement highlighting common industry issues such as:

• Hidden service charges

• Complex discount structures

• Confusing platform fees

Through this campaign, Rapido is positioning Ownly as a transparent and straightforward alternative in the food delivery market.

Platform Features and Restaurant Partnerships

Full-Stack Food Delivery Marketplace

Ownly operates as a full-stack food delivery platform, handling both restaurant discovery and delivery logistics.

Currently, the platform claims to have around 20,000 restaurant partners across Bengaluru. The application is available for download on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

With its citywide rollout, the company plans to attract customers who are looking for transparent pricing and straightforward delivery charges.

What This Means for the Future of Food Delivery

The launch of Ownly marks a significant strategic move for Rapido. By introducing a zero-commission structure, the company is attempting to challenge long-standing industry practices.

However, scaling such a model will require balancing customer demand, delivery efficiency and sustainable margins. Competing with established players like Swiggy and Zomato will be a major challenge.

Whether Ownly can replicate its Bengaluru strategy in other cities will likely depend on its ability to maintain competitive pricing while ensuring profitability.

For now, the launch signals a new phase in India’s evolving food delivery market, where pricing transparency and operational efficiency may become key differentiators.