Zomato is preparing to make one of its most talked about changes in recent years. The company is close to reaching an agreement with the National Restaurants Association of India that will allow restaurants to finally access customer information that has long been held tightly by food delivery platforms. This move has been requested for almost a decade and has often been the centre of heated conversations between restaurant owners and platform leaders.
The idea behind the shift is simple. Restaurants want to know who their customers are, what they order, how frequently they return and how they can build a direct relationship with them. For years they have argued that the delivery platforms have enjoyed an unfair advantage by keeping this information completely in house. According to the association president Sagar Daryani, the talks with Zomato have reached an advanced stage and both sides are willing to find common ground.
The association has also begun early conversations with Swiggy. Although these talks are still at a starting point, many restaurant owners believe that if Zomato opens the door, Swiggy will not want to be left behind. The restaurant community expects that this shift could reshape how loyalty, marketing and customer retention work within the food delivery market in India.
If the agreement comes through, it may encourage many restaurant brands to rethink how they engage customers. Some industry watchers believe it could even reduce the tension that has existed between restaurants and delivery platforms. For customers, the change may lead to better personal communication from their favourite eateries, more relevant offers and a smoother experience.
While the exact structure of data sharing has not been finalised, the willingness to move forward is being seen as a major step toward a healthier relationship between the two sides.
