Zomato founder addresses 10-minute delivery concerns, denies launching 'private label'
Deepinder Goyal clarifies that Bistro is a separate platform catering to quick in-office meals and is not competing with restaurant partners.
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In an email dated January 17, Zomato Founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal has reached out to restaurant partners to alleviate concerns regarding the company's new 10-minute (and 15-minute) delivery model, as per media reports.
He emphasized that Zomato does not intend to compete directly with restaurants, adding that Bistro, its new quick-meal concept, is neither a "private label" nor a "Zomato kitchen."
Goyal explained that Bistro targets the in-office market for snacks, meals, and beverages delivered within 10 minutes—traditionally an area addressed by on-site vendors and vending machines.
According to him, the Bistro team is working closely with food researchers, producers, chefs, and restaurants to create a proof of concept, even though the long-term profitability and product-market fit remain uncertain.
The Zomato CEO reiterated the company’s commitment to transparency, stressing that Bistro’s operations and customer data are kept entirely separate from Zomato’s restaurant-aggregator platform. He also assured partners that Bistro’s scale would remain limited, with even 1,000 outlets accounting for just 0.5 percent of India’s restaurant industry. Rather than building a large chain, Goyal said the goal is to explore a viable business model that restaurants themselves could replicate.
Two weeks ago, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) criticized the launch of Bistro and Swiggy’s Snacc on the grounds that such “private labels” might threaten smaller players. NRAI President Sagar Daryani clarified that while the industry is open to accelerated delivery innovations, it opposes aggregator-owned labels that could compete unfairly with existing restaurants.
Read more: Restaurant association accuses Swiggy, Zomato of unfair competition with private-label apps
Goyal also addressed Zomato’s recent introduction of a 15-minute delivery service via its main app. He noted that it will be expanded only if it proves economically viable for restaurants. The program calls for reduced commissions on short-distance orders, encouraging restaurants to open more outlets for faster, closer deliveries.
