Online food delivery major Swiggy has increased its platform fee to ₹15 in high-demand regions, marking its second revision in less than a month. The charge, which includes GST, was raised from ₹14 introduced in mid-August, and earlier stood at ₹12.
The platform fee is a flat levy collected on every order placed through Swiggy and rival Zomato. While modest compared to the average order size of ₹500–600, the charge is an important lever to improve profitability for food delivery companies. Swiggy first rolled out the fee at ₹2 in April 2023 and has gradually raised it in line with rising operating costs.
Zomato, meanwhile, has also revised its fee. On Tuesday, it increased the levy to ₹12 from ₹10. Unlike Swiggy, Zomato’s fee excludes GST. The timing of the hikes comes ahead of the festive season, when order volumes typically see a sharp uptick.
Swiggy’s push to strengthen unit economics follows widening losses. For the April–June quarter of FY26, its net loss doubled year-on-year to ₹1,197 crore, dragged down by heavy investments in its quick-commerce business Instamart. Operating revenue during the quarter rose 54 percent to ₹4,961 crore, while cash outflow stood at ₹1,053 crore, including operating, financing and investing activities.
Industry analysts say the platform fee increases are part of a broader attempt by food delivery firms to balance growth with profitability. Competitive pressures, however, remain strong. Bengaluru-based Rapido has begun testing “Ownly,” a food delivery service with lower commission charges for restaurants, positioning itself as a challenger to the Swiggy-Zomato duopoly.
Both Swiggy and Zomato have refrained from public comment on the latest hikes, but sector experts expect further adjustments to platform fees as delivery volumes rise during the festive quarter.
