Rapido has officially rolled out its standalone food delivery platform, Ownly, across Bengaluru, marking its full-scale entry into India’s highly competitive online food delivery market. The platform is built around a zero-commission model for restaurants and aims to introduce what the company calls a more transparent pricing structure.
The announcement was made on March 3 and follows an earlier pilot phase that began in August last year. During the pilot, the app was available in select Bengaluru neighbourhoods including Koramangala, HSR Layout and BTM Layout. With the latest rollout, Ownly is now accessible across the entire city.
Unlike traditional food delivery platforms, Ownly does not charge commissions to restaurant partners. Instead, the company plans to apply a delivery fee to customers, which will cover logistics costs. The platform positions itself around “price honesty”, stating that customers should pay only for food and delivery without hidden platform charges or inflated menu prices.
Aravind Sanka, Founder of Rapido and Ownly, said the initiative focuses on building a restaurant-first ecosystem. “Indian consumer habits are changing rapidly. Food ordering has become an integral part of everyday life across India, not just in metros but in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well. At Ownly, we see a strong opportunity to build a restaurant-first model that supports small and big partners to cater to the evolving needs of their customers. We believe that transparency, honesty and fairness are key drivers of long term growth for the sector and hope that Ownly can enable more people to enjoy the convenience of ordering in.”
Rapido’s move comes as India’s food delivery market, estimated at around $8 billion annually, continues to be dominated by two major platforms that have built extensive restaurant networks and large delivery fleets. These companies have also expanded into related areas such as quick commerce.
Food delivery remains a margin-sensitive business due to high customer acquisition costs, delivery partner payouts and heavy promotional spending. Several smaller players have previously struggled to scale operations in this space.
Rapido is betting that its existing hyperlocal logistics network, originally developed for bike taxi services and deliveries, will help reduce operational costs for food deliveries. Orders placed on Ownly are fulfilled by Rapido’s delivery partners, referred to as “Captains”.
The company also said the platform will prioritise “everyday low prices” rather than aggressive discounting strategies. Alongside the launch, Ownly introduced a marketing campaign called “Food Promise”, featuring a courtroom-style advertisement that highlights issues such as hidden fees and complex discount structures within the industry.
Ownly operates as a full-stack marketplace managing both restaurant discovery and delivery. The platform currently claims nearly 20,000 restaurant partners and is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
With its citywide launch in Bengaluru, Rapido is attempting to challenge the economics of food delivery through a zero-commission approach. Whether this model can remain sustainable while competing with established platforms will determine how far Ownly expands beyond its initial market.
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