- Rapido has entered the food delivery market with a no-commission model.
- Swiggy and Zomato have reduced McChicken Burger Combo prices to Rs 199 in response.
- The combo's previous price was Rs 315 on both Swiggy and Zomato platforms.
The entry of bike-taxi aggregator Rapido in the food delivery market with a no-commission and consumer-friendly model has triggered an immediate response from Swiggy and Zomato. The two food delivery behemoths have reduced the price of McDonald's McChicken Burger Combo to Rs 199 at multiple locations in Mumbai and Bengaluru, as opposed to the usual Rs 315.
The move follows an exclusive NDTV Profit report on the sharp pricing gap.
Rapido's new food delivery app, currently piloted in Bengaluru, offered the same combo at a total cost of Rs 230, including delivery and GST, significantly lower than Swiggy's Rs 450 and Zomato's Rs 400 after adding delivery charges, packaging fees, platform fees and taxes.
"Prices of dishes will be same in dine-in as they are on the food delivery platform. So if something costs Rs 200 in the restaurant, it will cost Rs 200 on the Rapido platform," business journalist Agneeveer Bhattacharya explained.
McDonald's typically applies higher prices on all online platforms, including its own, due to a global pricing policy. Food pricing on Swiggy and Zomato remains dynamic and may change without prior notice.
Rapido, with its fleet of four million delivery riders, is building a platform around a zero-commission model. Restaurants are not charged to be listed and can choose to deliver themselves at no cost. Partner eateries are also being encouraged to offer at least four dishes under Rs 150 and maintain identical pricing both online and offline.
NDTV Profit's report said that Rapido's model could shift consumer habits and challenge the dominance of incumbent players. "Customers will not be paying for their food packaging separately," Mr Bhattacharya said.
Restaurants, long frustrated by high aggregator commissions, have shown interest in Rapido's structure, which is expected to shift to a flat subscription model as it scales.
