Moneycontrol Startup Conclave 2026: Ownly to go pan

Moneycontrol Startup Conclave 2026: Ownly to go pan-India within a year, says Rapido's Aravind Sanka

Rapido plans to launch its food-delivery platform Ownly across India by this time next year, as the ride-hailing company looks to take the fledgling business beyond its two initial markets.

“By the same time next year, you should see Ownly being launched pan-India,” Rapido CEO and co-founder Aravind Sanka at the Moneycontrol Startup Conclave 2026 in Bangalore on September 25.

Ownly is operational in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with Rapido looking to expand into more cities. The company’s entry into food delivery marks its biggest push beyond ride-hailing and puts it in direct competition with established players such as Swiggy and Zomato.

“We believe this (food delivery) will become a 100-150 million user market. It is all about affordability. We are not saying we have the answer. But we believe the opportunity is there,” Sanka said.

Ownly follows a different model from the incumbent platforms. Rapido does not charge restaurants a commission for orders placed through the platform instead looking to make money through delivery charges paid by customers.

The strategy is aimed at lowering the cost of ordering food, particularly for customers who may not order frequently because of delivery fees and restaurant commissions built into the overall price.

“We don't enter the category thinking there is a duopoly. We have not seen the same penetration as ride-sharing in food delivery. Even though there are enough people dining out, it is not reflecting in the food-delivery industry,” Sanka said.

Rapido is also looking to use its network of drivers, or captains, to support Ownly's delivery operations. This gives the company a supply base as it expands the platform rather build from scratch.

Ownly's first major market has been Bengaluru, where Rapido has been testing whether its lower-cost model can attract both consumers and restaurants.

The company has expanded to Hyderabad and is expected to add more markets.

The expansion also fits into Rapido's broader strategy of using affordability to reach customers outside the country's largest consumer segments.

“As we go deeper into India, we are launching 100-200 cities every year. Affordability is the key for us. That is how we are going deeper into India,” Sanka said.

For Rapido, the food delivery push comes after years of building its ride-hailing business around two-wheelers and other lower-cost mobility options.

Sanka said the company has focused on solving for supply and operating with capital constraints.

“For 11 years, we built under the radar. We always try to optimise for supply. The compounding impact is larger if you solve for supply but that never comes with the limelight,” he said.

The company is now attempting to apply that playbook to a much more competitive category. While Swiggy and Zomato dominate organised food-delivery market, Rapido's bet is that lower costs can expand the addressable customer base rather than simply shift existing users between platforms.

The all-India rollout will be a test of Ownly's affordability-led model across India's vastly different food delivery markets.

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