Flipkart is getting ready to challenge Swiggy and Zomato, to launch food delivery service in coming weeks

Flipkart has confirmed that it will launch its own food delivery service in the coming weeks, marking its entry into one of India's most competitive online markets. The company plans a phased rollout before expanding nationwide.

In Short

• Flipkart confirms food delivery service launch in the coming weeks
• Service will initially roll out on a limited scale before expanding
• Users will be able to order through a dedicated app and the Flipkart app

Flipkart is apparently getting hungry for more. After making a strong push into quick commerce with Flipkart Minutes, the Walmart-owned company is now preparing to enter another fiercely competitive business: online food delivery. With companies across India experimenting with new ways to deliver meals faster and cheaper, the battle is no longer just between Zomato and Swiggy. Flipkart is also now pulling its socks up to join the race, online reports suggest.

In an interview with Moneycontrol, Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy confirmed that the company will launch its food delivery service within the next few weeks. As with most of its new products, Flipkart plans to begin with a limited rollout, gather customer feedback, refine the experience, and only then expand the service across more cities.

The company has not revealed the name of the service. However, Krishnamurthy told Moneycontrol that customers will be able to access it through a dedicated app as well as from within the Flipkart app. The report suggests the service will also be integrated with the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), allowing Flipkart to tap into a wider network of restaurants and delivery partners.

The move comes just months after Flipkart celebrated a major milestone for its quick commerce platform, Flipkart Minutes. The company recently revealed that the service has expanded to more than 1,000 micro fulfilment centres across 130 cities in under two years. It also said demand from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities has grown 42 times compared to last year, while Gen Z customers now account for over 40 per cent of its user base.

Flipkart is entering a market that has become far more competitive than before. Ride-hailing platform Rapido recently introduced its food delivery service, Ownly, promising lower costs by charging zero commissions from restaurants and keeping menu prices similar to offline rates. Swiggy has also launched Toing, a value-focused offering aimed at price-conscious users.

At the same time, Eternal, the parent company of Zomato, believes the new challengers are relying more on discounts than genuine innovation. Founder Deepinder Goyal has said the next phase of food delivery growth will come from supply-side improvements, including Bistro, the company's in-house quick food delivery business.

Krishnamurthy, however, did not reveal Flipkart's strategy against its rivals. He said the company only enters categories where it believes it can bring something new for customers.

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