Ever since the concept of ordering food and groceries made its debut in India in 2008 with the introduction of Zomato, the industry has quickly grown to be one of India’s biggest and fastest growing tech sectors. Looking to keep their first mover advantage in the field, Zomato has announced their introduction of a new feature – Zomato instant, 10-minute deliveries.
Deepinder Goyal, the co-founder of Zomato, heralded the inauguration of 10-minute deliveries and saying that it would revolutionize the industry.
Many questions and criticism have risen surrounding the pressure delivery partners would face trying to close orders within 10 minutes. As not only would it be a pressurizing environment to work in but also increase the risk of road accidents.
Goyal went on to say that the delivery drivers will not be punished for deliveries that take time. The delivery partners are not informed about the 10 minute delivery time. The cut in timing does not happen on the road and puts no lives at risk.
Understandably, the safety of delivery partners being compromised was their main concern, but people are also worried about the food’s quality that is guaranteed to reach our doorstep within 10 minutes.
Zomato said the quick delivery is possible with the help of a dense network of “finishing counters” which will initially be set up in areas with higher demand, and that delivery partners will have no pressure to deliver the food quickly. Zomato instant would only house best-selling items, from restaurants based on demand predictions and hyperlocal preferences.
According to Mr. Goyal, if you are stagnant, you will quickly become outdated and therefore innovation has to be constant. He added by saying that innovation and leadership is the only way to stay in the wrath of the tech world.
Moving on to its release, Zomato Instant will initially commence with four stations in Gurugram next month. There has been no information out about Zomato instant hitting other cities.
If Zomato Instant ends up a hit, their rivals coming up with substitutes will be inevitable. There are interesting times in the food tech industry.
