Foodtech giant Zomato unveiled its “large order fleet” on Tuesday, aimed at managing orders for groups or events. CEO Deepinder Goyal announced the initiative on X, emphasizing its all-electric nature designed specifically for gatherings of up to 50 people. However, he didn’t disclose the fleet’s vehicle count.
Earlier, Snackfax had reported that the Gurgaon-based company was considering venturing into the catering industry. They intended to utilize their extensive network of restaurant partners as a key component of their strategy to fulfill sizable orders.
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The decision aligns with the company’s broader strategy of diversifying food delivery offerings to broaden its potential market reach.
“Earlier, several conventional fleet delivery partners fulfilled such massive orders, and the client experience wasn’t what we really aimed for. These vehicles are still a “work in progress,” and we are working to add significant upgrades to them, such as temperature-controlled hot boxes and cooling compartments, to make sure everything gets to you exactly how you want it, Goyal stated.
During its December 2023 quarterly earnings call, Zomato stated that it anticipated monthly transacting customers, in addition to new customers, to be pivotal in fueling growth.
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Referring to the electric fleet, Goyal expressed confidence that these new vehicles would address the majority of the challenges encountered by customers when placing large orders on Zomato.
In June 2023, Zomato introduced the multi-cart feature, allowing users to order from multiple restaurants at the same time.
On March 20, the company unveiled a specialized fleet of delivery partners wearing green uniforms to serve vegetarian customers exclusively. However, it had to backtrack on its decision following backlash over its ‘pure veg mode’ service.
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Zomato’s consolidated operating revenue surged by 69% year-on-year to reach INR 3,288 crore in the December quarter. Meanwhile, adjusted revenue for the food-delivery vertical increased by 29% year-on-year to INR 2,025 crore.