‘30-minute too slow’: Zomato to deliver food in 10 minutes

Stating that the 30-minute average delivery time is “too slow”, Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal on Monday announced that its platform will soon start delivering food in 10 minutes and that too, without compromising on food quality and delivery partner safety.”Customers are increasingly demanding quicker answers to their needs. They don’t want to plan, and they don’t want to wait… I started feeling that the 30-minute average delivery time by Zomato is too slow, and will soon have to become obsolete. If we don’t make it obsolete, someone else will,” Goyal wrote in a blogpost while announcing the launch of ‘Zomato Instant’.He added that nobody in the world has so far delivered hot and fresh food in under 10 minutes at scale, and the company is eager to be the first to create this category, globally.
Announcement: 10 minute food delivery is coming soon on Zomato. Food quality – 10/10Delivery partner safety – 10/10Delivery time – 10 minutesHere’s how Zomato Instant will achieve the impossible while ensuring delivery partner safety – https://t.co/oKs3UylPHh pic.twitter.com/JYCNFgMRQz— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) March 21, 2022
“Each of our finishing stations will house bestseller items (~20-30 dishes) from various restaurants based on demand predictability and hyperlocal preferences. Luckily, the experience of having delivered 1.35 billion orders across India over the years makes our job a little easier,” Zomato said.”Due to demand predictability at a hyperlocal level, we expect that the price for the customer will get significantly reduced, while the absolute margin/income for our restaurant partners as well as our delivery partners, will remain the same,” it added.This is absurd, say Karti ChidambaramThe decision, however, drew a sharp reaction from Congress MP Karti Chidambaram who raised the issue in Parliament on Monday.”This is absurd! It’s going to put undue pressure on the delivery personnel, who are not employees & who have no benefits or security, who have no bargaining power with @zomato. I have raised this in Parliament & have written to the Govt. Will pursue this further,” he tweeted.
This is absurd! It’s going to put undue pressure on the delivery personnel, who are not employees & who have no benefits or security, who have no bargaining power with @zomato I have raised this in Parliament & have written to the Govt. Will pursue this further. https://t.co/fH8yflloiY pic.twitter.com/PfQIe2nfR4— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) March 21, 2022
Last week, Chidambaram urged the government to issue guidelines and regulate delivery companies such as Swiggy and Zomato to protect delivery agents from unrealistic targets and ensure their safety.Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Chidambaram spoke about the gig economy, explaining that a gig worker is someone who has a non-traditional relationship with the employer because of technology.In India, there are 15 million workers in the gig economy and it is bound to grow to 25 million and even 100 million in the long term, the MP from Sivaganga said.They drive (delivery agents) a two-wheeler which is a personal vehicle but are doing a commercial delivery and carry a huge weight in the pillion seat or carrier, he said, adding there is no protection for these workers.(With inputs from agencies)