Flipkart, poised to return to online food delivery, is in a move that could disrupt the long-established duopoly of Zomato and Swiggy. The e-commerce behemoth is going to launch a pilot program in Bengaluru from May to June 2026, with potentially a national rollout to come by the end of the year, company said.
The Strategic Turn: Own App, OR ONDC?
Although it has trialed food delivery in the past, this has come more structured than previously, said Flipkart. The company is said to be analysing two primary routes for the launch:
- Standalone Platform: A separate integrated food delivery interface in the main Flipkart app, or as a standalone.
ONDC - Setup: Using ONDC, a government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) as a buyer-side app, like Ola and Paytm.
Onboarding restaurants with ONDC will minimize their costs from the onboarding process for Flipkart to user interface, all about user interface and logistics in terms of delivery – with ONDC, Flipkart could save a lot of money by eliminating onboarding and reducing onboarding cost, leaving it entirely with the user interface and delivery logistics.
Why Now? The IPO Connection
It's time-critical to run this venture now. Flipkart is likely that it will soon be filing for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in late 2026 or early 2027.
- Ecosystem Play: Adding food delivery allows Flipkart to gain access to one high-frequency category of customers, keeping them using the app daily rather than once a month.
- Quick Commerce Synergy: Flipkart has an already solid logistics backbone established with "Flipkart Minutes," the 10-minute delivery service which now runs more than 800 dark stores. This existing fleet could provide a massive operational advantage for food delivery.
The Competitive Landscape
Jefferies predicts the online food delivery market in India will reach $25 billion by FY30. Although Zomato and Swiggy currently have the most share, the market has recently been flooded with new energy:
- Rapido recently expanded its “Ownly” food platform in Bengaluru.
- Shares of Zomato (Eternal) and Swiggy fell a little after reports of Flipkart’s entry, indicating that investors are taking the threat backed by Walmart seriously.
What this means for consumers
For Bengaluru residents, the June pilot would probably usher in aggressive discounting and loyalty benefits as Flipkart aims to bring people in and out of the game via existing platforms. Incorporating food delivery into its Flipkart VIP subscription into the process may not only be attractive (after both Zomato Gold and Swiggy One), but would be a powerful option for customers willing to pay for premium access to high-quality food.
