In a bid to capitalize on the growing quick food delivery market, Blinkit, Zomato's quick-commerce subsidiary, has launched 'Bistro,' a platform that promises delivery of snacks, meals, and beverages within 10 minutes. This launch follows closely behind rival Zepto's introduction of the Zepto Cafe.

Currently available on the Google Play Store, Bistro is expected to be launched on the Apple App Store soon. This marks Zomato's second attempt in the instant food and grocery delivery space, after the earlier shutdown of Zomato Instant, according to a Moneycontrol report.

The app appears to be in its pilot phase and is currently available in select areas of Gurugram.

Zepto pioneered quick snack deliveries with the launch of Zepto Cafe in Mumbai in 2022, offering a mix of branded and non-branded pre-made food items.

On December 12, Zepto announced plans to launch a dedicated app for Zepto Cafe, which will deliver snacks and beverages within 10 minutes. Last month, the company revealed its plans to expand Zepto Cafe, previously limited to Mumbai, to 120 cities across India, including Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune.

This update follows Swiggy's pilot launch of 'Cafe,' a service offering snacks and beverages delivered within 15 minutes.

Emerging Competitors and Startups

After groceries, the quick delivery of food has become the new focus for quick commerce startups. In addition to industry leaders, several new startups are also entering this space.

Swish, a Bengaluru-based 10-minute food delivery startup launched earlier this year, secured $2 million in funding from Accel last month. Another startup, Zing, recently launched its own 10-minute food delivery service in Delhi NCR.

This new launch is part of Zomato's strategy to further expand Blinkit and boost its revenue.

Zepto reported that its Cafe platform now handles 30,000 daily orders, while Swiggy stated that 5% of its total orders come from Bolt, which specializes in delivering quick-to-prepare meals. In interviews with Moneycontrol, both Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal and Swiggy CEO Sriharsha Majety highlighted that the 10-minute food delivery segment is seen as the "next growth frontier."

Market Growth and Regional Expansion

According to Statista, India's online food delivery market is expected to generate $43.78 billion in revenue in 2024, with a projected annual growth rate of 15.61%. This will result in a market size of $90.43 billion by 2029.

The quick food delivery market in India is expanding beyond metro cities into tier-2 and tier-3 regions, driven by increasing internet penetration and rising disposable incomes. As consumers in smaller cities adopt digital platforms, companies are targeting these areas with localized offerings and faster delivery services, creating new opportunities for growth and competition in the evolving market.