New Delhi: Walmart-owned Flipkart plans to enter India’s online food delivery market, with a pilot likely to begin within the next 30 days, according to a Times of India report. The move will place the e-commerce company against established players such as Zomato and Swiggy.
Pilot First
Flipkart Group Chief Executive Officer Kalyan Krishnamurthy said the company would study customer response and operational performance during the trial before deciding on a nationwide expansion.
“Food delivery is another customer use case within our broader e-commerce platform. We will begin with a pilot, learn from it, and decide how to scale across the rest of the country,” Krishnamurthy told TOI.
Growth Opportunity
He rejected the view that Flipkart was entering the sector too late. Krishnamurthy said a company could still succeed if it offered clear value, built a strong team and followed a disciplined execution plan.
Flipkart had reportedly been studying the food delivery business for several months. Earlier reports suggested that Bengaluru could host the first pilot. The company was also considering whether to create a separate platform or use a buyer-side application linked to the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce.
Rising Competition
India’s food delivery sector was valued at around $9 billion in FY25 and could reach USD 25 billion by FY30, according to Jefferies. Better affordability, faster service and wider consumer adoption are expected to support this growth.
Eternal-owned Zomato and Swiggy currently lead the market. However, Rapido’s Ownly and several ONDC-based platforms are also seeking customers. Quick food formats such as Swiggy Bolt, Blinkit’s Bistro and Zepto Cafe have increased competition further.
Quick Commerce Push
The planned entry follows Flipkart’s rapid expansion in quick commerce through Minutes. The service reportedly operates more than 800 dark stores and competes with Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart.
Krishnamurthy said Flipkart would focus on delivering customer value instead of worrying about the timing of its entry. A wider launch will depend on lessons from the pilot and its long-term commercial potential.
