Over the last decade, food ordering has become an integral part of our daily lives. Food delivery platforms have enabled discovery and delivery, and in doing so, have completely transformed the way India eats. Unfortunately, this evolution has also led to inflated prices and added fees. To address this, mobility platform Rapido today announced the official launch of its standalone food delivery app, Ownly. The service is now live across all of Bengaluru, signalling Rapido’s strategic expansion into the online food marketplace with a model rooted in fairness and radical transparency.
Ownly is a zero commission platform that takes no fees from restaurants, and looks to charge consumers an honest delivery fee that covers the cost of getting food to them. In doing so, it enables restaurants to provide everyday low prices to customers without the acrobatics of discount traps or multiple layers of additional charges and fees.
The “Food promise campaign”: A commitment to resetting the status quo
Central to the launch is a creative video commercial that taps into the angst of the common consumer and promises a better food delivery solution. The film is set in a courtroom, and acknowledges the current industry pain points of hidden platform fees, inflated menu prices and misleading discounts.
Through potent use of satire and exaggeration, the film brings the underlying consumer angst to the fore while positioning Ownly as a clear alternative. Through the central structure of the “food promise” articulated in the creative, the brand looks to create a commitment toward trust and transparency for its stakeholders. The commercial is live on Ownly’s YouTube channel.
Commenting on the city-wide launch, Aravind Sanka, Founder – Rapido and Ownly said: “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.”
Experimentation and learning
By entering this market, Ownly is looking to create healthy competition that benefits consumers and restaurants. As a new service under the Rapido umbrella, Ownly is built on the same principles as its parent brand, focusing on solving large-scale problems in customers’ daily lives, guided by affordability, convenience, and transparency.
The Bengaluru launch follows the pilot across Koramangala, HSR Layout, and BTM Layout, along with research into consumer habits across Indian cities. Over the past year, Ownly has also worked closely with restaurant partners to understand key industry pain points and plans to leverage Rapido’s hyperlocal logistics strengths going forward.
