Rapido launches zero-commission food delivery app 'Ownly'

Rapido launches 'Ownly' in Bengaluru, a zero-commission food delivery app challenging the duopoly with transparent, no-hidden-fee pricing

Ride-hailing giant Rapido has officially expanded its ecosystem by launching its standalone food delivery app, 'Ownly,' across Bengaluru. Seeking to disrupt the established duopoly in India's food delivery sector, the new platform is fundamentally resetting market economics by introducing a zero-commission model for partner restaurants.

The launch follows an extensive, year-long pilot program conducted in delivery-dense neighbourhoods like Koramangala, HSR Layout, and BTM Layout. Currently, Ownly claims to have successfully onboarded nearly 20,000 restaurant partners onto its platform. To fulfill orders, the company is strategically leveraging Rapido's massive existing hyperlocal logistics network—its two-wheeler ‘Captains’—significantly lowering its barrier to entry.

At the core of Ownly's strategy is its rejection of the commission-heavy practices that dominate the current market. Traditional aggregators often charge restaurants commissions ranging from 15% to 30%, which squeezes restaurant margins and forces them to artificially inflate menu prices. Instead of taking a cut from the restaurants, Ownly charges consumers a straightforward, transparent delivery fee designed solely to cover logistics costs.

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Rapido founder Aravind Sanka emphasized that the app aims to build a ‘restaurant-first’ ecosystem based on transparency and fairness. By removing high commissions and hidden platform fees, Ownly allows small and mid-sized eateries to control their pricing better and offer consumers genuine, everyday low prices without relying on confusing discount cycles. To drive this message home, the company launched a satirical ‘Food Promise’ marketing campaign criticizing hidden fees and inflated menus.

If this transparent pricing model proves sustainable and successful in Bengaluru, Rapido plans to scale Ownly across tier-2 and tier-3 cities where it already maintains strong mobility penetration. While the long-term viability of relying solely on delivery fees remains to be seen, Ownly's disruptive entry is set to introduce fierce competitive heat into the sector.

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