Walmart-owned e-commerce giant Flipkart is reportedly preparing to enter India's food delivery market with Eat-in by Minutes, a new service expected to launch publicly by the end of October 2026. The move could introduce fresh competition for Zomato and Swiggy, particularly through a proposed lower-commission model for restaurants.
TL;DR
- Flipkart is reportedly targeting an October-end public launch for Eat-in by Minutes, beginning in Bengaluru.
- Internal testing has expanded to more than 8,000 employees, with a dedicated Ekart delivery fleet.
- Flipkart has reportedly proposed around 10% base commissions for restaurants, compared with 20%–25% on established platforms.
- Expansion to five or six cities is targeted by December 2026.
According to TechCrunch, Flipkart has expanded its internal food delivery trial from a few hundred employees to more than 8,000 at its Bengaluru headquarters.
The service, called Eat-in by Minutes, is currently accessible to participating employees through a dedicated tab within Flipkart's main shopping app, alongside its existing Minutes quick-commerce offering and travel booking services.
The development marks another attempt by a major technology company to challenge Zomato and Swiggy, which have maintained a stronghold over India's online food delivery market.
How Will Flipkart's Eat-in by Minutes Food Delivery Service Work?
Flipkart is building its food delivery operations by combining its existing e-commerce platform with a dedicated logistics network and restaurant partnerships.
As reported by TechCrunch, the service includes restaurants listed on the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), alongside restaurants that have signed agreements directly with Flipkart.
The company has also deployed a dedicated fleet of delivery personnel through Ekart, its logistics arm. These riders operate separately from the delivery workforce serving Flipkart Minutes, suggesting that food delivery will have its own operational arrangements.
Delivery riders wearing Eat-in by Minutes-branded clothing have already been spotted fulfilling orders in Bengaluru, according to the report.
A recent Inc42 report further highlighted that Flipkart is targeting an October-end public launch, with plans to expand to five or six cities by December 2026.
However, the precise public launch date, initial service coverage, delivery charges and expected delivery times have not been officially disclosed.
Flipkart Could Offer Restaurants Lower Commissions Than Zomato And Swiggy
One of the most significant aspects of Flipkart's proposed food delivery business is its reported restaurant commission structure.
Sagar Daryani, president of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and co-founder and CEO of Wow! Momo Foods, told TechCrunch that Flipkart has proposed a base commission of approximately 10%.
This compares with the 20%–25% commissions that restaurants typically pay established food delivery platforms, according to Daryani.
He also explained that advertising, discounting and promotional expenses can push restaurants' total costs on existing platforms to 40%–50% of an order's value.
Daryani expects Flipkart's overall charges to remain closer to 15%–16%, potentially allowing restaurants to retain a larger share of their revenue. These figures represent proposed commissions and industry expectations rather than finalized public pricing.
The restaurant association represents more than 500,000 restaurants across India, making the potential entry of another large delivery platform particularly relevant to its members.
Flipkart Plans To Expand Food Delivery Beyond Bengaluru
Flipkart's reported rollout strategy begins with its Bengaluru operations before expanding into additional markets.
Daryani told TechCrunch that Flipkart had informed restaurant partners of its intention to launch publicly by the end of October and expand to five or six cities before the end of 2026.
The same timeline was also highlighted by LiveMint in its October 20 coverage.
For Flipkart, entering food delivery would extend its presence beyond traditional e-commerce and quick commerce, giving customers another reason to use its existing shopping application.
Unlike Zomato and Swiggy, which expanded from food delivery into quick commerce, Flipkart is attempting the reverse by entering food delivery through its established shopping and rapid-delivery ecosystem.
“Flipkart’s quick commerce benefit will get passed on to food delivery, so it will be leaner, more efficient,” Daryani told TechCrunch.
Can Flipkart Challenge Zomato And Swiggy In India's Food Delivery Market?
Flipkart is entering a market with strong incumbent platforms and growing interest from alternative delivery providers.
According to brokerage firm Bernstein, as cited by TechCrunch, India's food delivery market is growing approximately 18%–20% annually, although online deliveries account for just over 15% of the broader food services industry.
Topics for more insights:
Zomato, owned by Eternal, and Swiggy together serve an estimated 85 million to 95 million paying customers annually, according to the brokerage.
Meanwhile, Rapido has been expanding Ownly, its zero-commission food delivery service for restaurants, while Swiggy has introduced Toing to target consumers seeking more affordable meals.
Inc42 also highlighted newer initiatives such as Swish Go and Curefoods' MegaBite, reflecting growing competition around meal affordability and restaurant operating costs.
However, attracting restaurants through lower commissions does not guarantee customer adoption.
Bernstein estimates that operational efficiencies could allow new entrants to save customers approximately ₹20–₹30 per order. Whether those savings would persuade users to switch from established platforms remains uncertain.
Flipkart's existing customer base, logistics operations and quick-commerce infrastructure could provide an advantage, but delivery reliability, restaurant availability and customer pricing will remain important factors in its ability to compete.
For now, Eat-in by Minutes remains in internal testing, with Flipkart yet to publicly confirm its launch schedule or final service terms.
TechCrunch reported that Flipkart did not respond to a request for comment, while Inc42 similarly stated that its queries remained unanswered at the time of publication.
