The future of the 10-minute delivery service is being questioned by venture capitalists (VCs), gig workers’ associations, and the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI). Food orders currently take at least 30-45 minutes to arrive at your doorsteps, regardless of the delivery platform. Zomato, a food delivery service, just launched Zomato Instant, which claims 10-minute food delivery. Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal claims only 3-6 minutes of travel time with Zomato Instant. The rapid commerce industry is no stranger to 10-minute delivery times. Zepto and Blinkit (which are supported by Zomato) both provide 10-minute supermarket delivery. Swiggy has joined the grocery delivery industry with Instamart, promising delivery in 15 minutes.
Why it’s more challenging on the ground level than announcement?
“The 10-minute delivery model has not yet become successful in the grocery category itself. It comes with many challenges on the ground which are beyond the control of a platform provider such as Zomato,” said Mohamad Faraz, Founding Partner, Upsparks, a micro-VC firm. He went on to say that the food market, where quality is inextricably related to customer experience, will be difficult to grow as a business model. This notion has been tested by quick commerce companies, but it does not appear to be sustainable.
Why Zomato Driver will suffer more in this 10-minute meal delivery?
According to Shaik Salauddin, National General Secretary of the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers, “Zomato should recognize the pressure and tension it produces with these new services” (IFAT). According to Zomato’s delivery partners, they work for 12 hours and bring food in 30 minutes. They receive $30 for each food delivery, and they deliver at least 30-50 orders per day. Instead of 10-minute meal delivery, there are more important issues that tech and tech start-ups can address. According to Ajay Ramasubramaniam, Founder and CEO of Startup Reseau, “Zomato Instant is a forced habit that is bordering on risks or hazards for the ghost-kitchen/restaurant and the delivery person.”
