News Analysis India

Tag: zomato

  • Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal Introduces Feature To Track Live Food Orders |

    New Delhi: Food delivery platforms are in high demand these days. Have you ever wondered what the total order count on a platform might be? Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has just introduced a new feature that lets users see the live order count on the platform.

    Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal announced on X (formerly Twitter) that users can now see the total number of orders placed across India immediately after placing their own order. In his tweet, Goyal shared that when he placed an order around 11 am the count had already exceeded 250,000. This new feature is designed to improve the user experience by showing real-time activity on the platform.

    Deepinder Goyal shared in a post on X ,“A cool new update for everyone – You can now see the LIVE order count on @zomato for the day, right after you place your order. I just placed an order at around 11am, and the count was already over 250,000.”

    A cool new update for everyone –

    You can now see the LIVE order count on @zomato for the day, right after you place your order. I just placed an order at around 11am, and the count was already over 250,000.

    Have fun! pic.twitter.com/0RYdvPei3X
    — Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) June 21, 2024

    The ordering experience on Zomato hasn’t changed for general users. However, the new live tracking feature adds a fun, game-like element by showing the trend of food deliveries across the country.

  • Blinkit Offers ‘Free Dhaniya’ With Veggies, People Ask For ‘Hari Mirch’ Too |

    New Delhi: After listening to a user’s mother’s suggestion who had to pay for ‘dhaniya’ (coriander) on Blinkit while ordering veggies, Zomato’s grocery delivery platform has now started to offer ‘free dhaniya’ with vegetables. This move by the company has been much appreciated by a lot of users, however, they also asked to add ‘hari mirch’ (green chilli) with the veggies.

    “It’s live! Everyone, please thank Ankit’s mom. We will polish the feature in the next couple of weeks,” Albinder Dhindsa, Blinkit’s CEO, posted on X. (Also Read: Motorola Edge 50 Fusion launched In India With Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset: Check Price, Specs, Availability & More)

    Ankit Sawant is the X user, who highlighted the absence of complimentary offerings like ‘free dhaniya’ while buying vegetables, which are customary in traditional marketplaces.

    “Mom got a mini heart attack because she had to pay for dhaniya on Blinkit. @albinder – Mom is suggesting that you should bundle it for free with a certain amount of veggies,” Sawant wrote. (Also Read: iQOO Z9x 5G Launched In India With 6000mAh Battery: Check Price, Offers, Specs & More)

    Upon being tagged in the post, Blinkit’s CEO responded promptly, saying, “Will do”. Later, in a follow-up post, Dhindsa announced the implementation of the ‘free dhaniya’ feature, attributing the initiative to the user’s mother.

    This conversation has gained considerable traction, amassing more than 650K views and over 9,000 likes. Several users appreciated the move and asked to add the ‘hari mirch’ option as well.

    “Dhaniya ke sath mirchi bhi dal dete (add chilli along with coriander),” a user wrote.

    “Hey! Dhaniya + Hari Mirch. Sirf dhaniya is not allowed. (Only coriander not allowed),” another user said.

  • Zomato Introduces ‘Photo Cakes’ Custom Cake Delivery Ahead Of Mother's Day

    To get a cake with a custom photo, all users need to do is upload the desired image while placing their order on the app.

  • Zomato’s CEO Deepinder Goyal Launches India’s First Crowd-Supported Weather Infrastructure |

    New Delhi: Zomato’s co-founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal has introduced India’s first crowd-supported weather infrastructure. This initiative will provide localised, real-time data on important weather factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and more. 

    The new platform (https://weatherunion.com) consists of a proprietary network of over 650 ground-based weather stations. It is currently active in 45 cities with plans for rapid expansion to more locations in the near future, according to the company. (Also Read: Microsoft’s Xbox To Shut Down Several Gaming Studios: Know Why)

    Zomato has announced that it is providing free access to its weather data through an API to all institutions and companies in India. “We are now opening up free access to this (through an API) to all institutions and companies in the country.” Goyal wrote on X. (Also Read: Google Wallet App Launched For Android Users In India: Check Details)

    Excited to unveil India’s first crowd-supported weather infrastructure, https://t.co/pUhhX8zKMe. A proprietary network of 650+ on-ground weather stations, it is the largest private infrastructure of its kind in our country.

    These weather stations, developed by Zomato, provide… pic.twitter.com/lc5XQJJtO2
    — Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) May 8, 2024

    Deepinder explained that this detailed weather data has a lot of potential for businesses and research institutes to explore new applications and solve real-world problems. He further added that Zomato has already collaborated with CAS – IIT Delhi and they believe that more companies and institutions will find valuable uses for this data.

    “We believe that this data is too valuable to keep to ourselves or to monetise; therefore, as a Zomato Giveback, we are opening up access to this data to everyone for the public good,” the co-founder added. Zomato’s co-founder further mentioned that Weather Union plans to expand its network and needs volunteers to offer space for setting up more weather stations.

    “Also, a lot of Zomato employees have hosted weather stations at their homes. As we look forward to further expanding this infrastructure, we welcome volunteers who want to provide us space on their premises to install these weather stations and contribute to nation building,” he stated.

  • Online Food Delivery Platform Criticized As Girl Dies After Consuming Birthday Cake Ordered Online |

    New Delhi: In a tragic incident, a 10 year old girl’s reported death after consuming her birthday cake ordered online in Patiala. Social media users have expressed outrage towards the online food delivery platform. Criticism has been directed at these platforms for what netizens perceive as inadequate regulation, particularly concerning Cloud kitchens listed on food-delivery apps.

    A case has been filed by the police under Sections 273 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in response to a complaint filed by the family of the deceased girl. The complaint alleged that the girl passed away after consuming the birthday cake, and other family members also became ill after eating it. (Also Read: Viral Trend On X: What Is ‘Click Here’ Feature; BJP And AAP Join Bandwagon)

    According to the bill for the cake ordered by the deceased girl’s mother, Kajal, there is no store named ‘Cake Kanha’ at the listed address in Patiala. Authorities suspect that the bakery operates as a cloud kitchen. Furthermore, another receipt from Zomato indicates that the billing originated from Amritsar, rather than Patiala. (Also Read: Google To Suspend Political Ads In South Korea Ahead Of Elections)

    Zomato refrained from providing any comments despite repeated attempts to reach out, as reported by IANS.

    Dr. Nandita Iyer, an experienced food and nutrition columnist, expressed on X platform that Swiggy and Zomato need to clearly indicate on each listing whether it operates as a cloud kitchen. She suggested that this would help customers make informed decisions before placing their orders.

    “Such incidents are a harsh reminder that we have no idea what goes into the food we order from these completely unregulated places,” Iyer wrote on the social media platform.

    Fitness professional Chirag Barjatya said that food safety is a joke.

    “You will be surprised to know that people are running 20 different ‘restaurants’ in 1RK (room kitchen) as cloud kitchens listed over food-delivering apps. You have no idea how many mice and cockroaches were around the food you just ordered. And you have absolutely no idea if the cooked dal or rice you ordered has expired,” Barjatya posted on X. (With IANS Inputs)

  • ‘Will Roll It Back If…’: Zomato Takes U-Turn On Green Uniform For Pure Veg Fleet Amid Row |

    New Delhi: In response to the recent online criticism regarding the introduction of the “Pure Veg Mode” service, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal on Tuesday said that the food delivery platform will “roll it back in a heartbeat” if it leads to adverse societal impacts. In a detailed late-night post on X, Goyal addressed worries that Zomato’s regular delivery fleet might be denied entry by certain societies and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs).

    “There’s an opinion that some societies and RWAs will now not let our regular fleet in. We will stay alert for any such cases and work with these RWAs to not let this happen. We understand our social responsibility due to this change, and we will not back down from solving it when the need arises,” he stated.

    Update on our pure veg fleet —

    While we are going to continue to have a fleet for vegetarians, we have decided to remove the on-ground segregation of this fleet on the ground using the colour green. All our riders — both our regular fleet, and our fleet for vegetarians, will…
    — Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) March 20, 2024

    Clarification On “Pure Veg Mode”

    Goyal clarified that the “Pure Veg Mode” or the “Pure Veg Fleet” does not cater to or exclude any religious or political preferences. He further explained the rationale behind the company’s decision to introduce the “Pure Veg Mode” service.

    “But why did we need to separate the fleets? Because despite everyone’s best efforts, sometimes the food spills into the delivery boxes. In those cases, the smell of the previous order travels to the next order, and may lead to the next order smelling of the previous order. For this reason, we had to separate the fleet for veg orders,” Goyal explained.

    Emphasizing Dietary Preference

    The Zomato CEO stressed that the new service caters strictly to a dietary preference, regardless of an individual’s religion or caste, and that the participation of delivery partners in the new fleet will not be determined by their dietary preferences.

    “I would like to repeat that this feature strictly serves a dietary preference. And I know there are a lot of customers who would never order food from a restaurant which serves meat, irrespective of their religion/caste,” Goyal said.

    Goyal concluded his post by assuring that Zomato will retract the Pure Veg Mode service if it results in significant negative societal repercussions. “I promise that if we observe any significant negative societal repercussions as a result of this change, we will retract it instantly,” Goyal affirmed.

    Launch Of “Pure Veg Mode” Service

    The co-founder of Zomato announced the launch of a “Pure Veg Mode” service on Tuesday to cater to customers who strictly follow a vegetarian diet. Goyal attributed the feedback from vegetarian customers as the driving force behind the launch and announced that the online food delivery platform is also introducing a “Pure Veg Fleet” in India for customers who adhere to a 100% vegetarian diet.

    “India has the highest percentage of vegetarians in the world, and one of the most significant feedback we’ve received from them is their particular concern about how their food is cooked and handled,” Goyal said in a series of posts on X.

    “To cater to their dietary preferences, we are launching a ‘Pure Veg Mode’ along with a ‘Pure Veg Fleet’ on Zomato today, for customers who have a 100% vegetarian dietary preference,” he added.

    For the ‘Pure Veg Mode’, the company will collaborate with select restaurants that serve exclusively vegetarian food, excluding any establishments that offer non-vegetarian items. The Pure Veg Fleet will use green delivery boxes instead of the standard red ones.

    Goyal stated that these delivery personnel will exclusively deliver orders from pure vegetarian restaurants and will not handle any non-vegetarian meals. Furthermore, they will not enter non-vegetarian restaurants while carrying the green delivery box.

    “Our dedicated Pure Veg Fleet will only serve orders from these pure veg restaurants. This means that a non-veg meal, or even a veg meal served by a non-veg restaurant will never go inside the green delivery box meant for our Pure Veg Fleet,” he concluded.

  • Flipkart Set To Launch 10-15 Minute Delivery Venture Soon |

    New Delhi: Walmart-backed Flipkart, the largest online retailer in India, is preparing to join the fast-fashion industry, according to sources cited by Entrackr. Within the next six to eight weeks, the business hopes to introduce 10-15 minute delivery in at least a dozen cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi (NCR), and Hyderabad.

    It also intends to strategically build a network of dark stores in these areas. (Also Read: Bank Employees To Receive 17% Annual Wage Hike; IBA, Unions Sign Joint Note)

    For the unversed, the company is seen taking the same type of initiatives recently like same-day delivery in 20 locations and the delivery of cakes and flowers for Valentine’s Day in February 2024. (Also Read: Big Relief To THESE EPF Members: Exempt From Joint Declaration Form Submission)

    In order to set itself apart from competitors, the company is anticipated to feature a wide range of products, with an emphasis on groceries, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), electronics, fashion, and everyday necessities.

    According to someone with knowledge of the events, the corporation is currently relocating staff members within in order to assemble a team for the most recent endeavor.

    Three companies presently dominate the rapid commerce industry in India: Blinkit from Zomato, Instamart from Swiggy, and Zepto. Flipkart introduced Flipkart Quick, a hyperlocal service in 2020 that aimed to deliver food and electronics within 90 minutes.

    Earlier in the year, Flipkart declared its intention to introduce same-day delivery in 20 locations.

  • Zomato Aims For 100% Deliveries Through EVs By 2033 |

    New Delhi: Online food delivery platform Zomato said that it aims for 100 per cent deliveries through electric vehicles (EVs) by 2033, leading to net zero emissions across the food ordering and delivery value chain.

    Crafted around the eight identified themes, Zomato has outlined specific and measurable targets to achieve the recently announced goals by the year 2030. The goals include supporting the growth of 300K restaurant businesses and food entrepreneurs, empowering 1 million gig workers, and supporting 300 million nutritious meals for underprivileged women and children, among others. 

    “The release of Zomato’s goals for 2030, reinforces our commitment to protect and ensure sustainable growth of the platform economy and all its stakeholders. Our heartfelt gratitude to the esteemed government officials, industry leaders, and representatives from academia and civil society for their insights – which will play a key role in guiding our collective endeavors of becoming a more responsible and sustainable industry, said Rakesh Ranjan, CEO, Food Delivery, Zomato.

    “From a sustainability perspective, the government’s push towards EV adoption has received a commitment by platforms, including Zomato, that is looking at facilitating 100 per cent deliveries through EVs leading to net zero emissions across the food ordering and delivery value chain by 2033,” Ramesh Krishnamurthi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, said in a statement.

    Zomato said its sustainability initiatives are guided by the firm’s commitment to responsible and sustainable business growth while creating value for all its stakeholders.