Rapido, the Indian ride-hailing firm best known for its bike taxis, has launched a pilot food delivery service called Ownly in Bengaluru, marking its boldest expansion beyond mobility yet. The service, operated through Rapido’s wholly owned subsidiary Ctrlx Technologies, is currently in beta and limited to select areas, including Byrasandra, Tavarekere, Madiwala (BTM) Layout, Hosur Sarjapura Road (HSR) Layout, and Koramangala, according to co-founder and CEO Aravind Sanka.
With Ownly, Rapido is taking direct aim at industry giants Swiggy and Zomato by offering food prices roughly 15% lower. The company can do this by avoiding the commission model of up to 30% that dominates the industry. Instead, it charges restaurants a fixed fee per order, a strategy reportedly pitched to eateries in June.
To keep costs low and service fast, Ownly will limit delivery zones, showing customers only nearby restaurants. This approach is expected to cut fuel expenses and ensure quicker deliveries. Menus will be curated for profitability while maintaining visibility for restaurants, an investor familiar with the plan told TechCrunch.
Rapido plans to leverage its massive nationwide network of about 10 million vehicles—including 5–6 million two-wheelers—already used for taxi, courier, and logistics operations. This fleet, which has previously handled deliveries for Swiggy, gives Rapido insights into peak demand periods and popular restaurants. While its agreement with Swiggy prevents it from working with Zomato or other competitors during their partnership, Rapido is permitted to use operational data from past collaborations.
Founded in 2015, Rapido began with bike taxis and has since expanded into auto rickshaws, parcel delivery, third-party logistics, cab services, and even a partnership with Taiwan’s Gogoro to introduce battery-swapping electric two-wheelers.
The move into food delivery could intensify competition in India’s already crowded market, challenging incumbents with a pricing model that promises better margins for restaurants and lower costs for consumers.
