Flipkart Targets October-End Launch for Eat-in by Minutes
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Harshita Agrawal
- October 20, 2026
Walmart-owned e-commerce major Flipkart is reportedly targeting an October-end public launch for its food delivery service, Eat-in by Minutes, as it prepares to compete with Eternal-owned Zomato and Swiggy.
According to a TechCrunch report citing people familiar with the development, Flipkart has expanded its internal pilot in Bengaluru to more than 8,000 employees.
National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) president Sagar Daryani told the publication that Flipkart had informed restaurant partners of its plans to launch the service publicly by the end of October and expand to five or six cities by the end of 2026.
Inc42’s queries to Flipkart remained unanswered at the time of publication. The report will be updated upon receiving a response.
The expanded trial follows Flipkart’s initial employee pilot in Bengaluru for its food delivery offering.
Flipkart Taps Ekart and ONDC for Food Delivery
Flipkart’s food delivery service currently appears as a separate tab on its main shopping app, alongside its quick commerce offering, Flipkart Minutes, and travel bookings.
The company has also deployed a dedicated fleet of delivery riders through its logistics arm, Ekart. These riders operate separately from those handling quick commerce deliveries.
For restaurant onboarding, Flipkart is using the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), while also signing up restaurants directly.
The company is positioning its food delivery service around a lower-cost model for restaurant partners. According to Daryani, Flipkart has reportedly proposed a base commission of around 10%, significantly below the 20% to 25% commission that restaurants typically pay established platforms.
However, commissions account for only part of the costs restaurants incur when using food delivery platforms. Advertising, discounts and promotions add to their overall expenditure, making the total cost of selling through Flipkart an important consideration for prospective partners.
Flipkart’s existing commerce ecosystem could also provide a customer base for cross-selling food orders alongside its other offerings.
Food Delivery Market Faces Fresh Competition
Flipkart’s planned launch comes amid growing competition for Zomato and Swiggy, with new entrants focusing on restaurant commissions and the cost of ordering food online.
Rapido has been expanding Ownly, its food delivery service that offers a zero-commission model for restaurants.
Quick food delivery startup Swish has also begun piloting Swish Go. The service allows users in select Bengaluru pincodes to order from third-party restaurants and cloud kitchens. It is advertised as charging no packaging or platform fees.
Cloud kitchen operator Curefoods announced its MegaBite pilot yesterday, offering dishes priced at Rs 49 to Rs 199 from brands across its portfolio. Currently available in Bengaluru’s HSR Layout, the app claims to charge no delivery or platform fees.
These developments reflect growing pressure on established platforms to provide more affordable ordering options for customers while addressing restaurant partners’ concerns about commissions and promotional expenses.
For Flipkart, food delivery would add another business to its portfolio alongside its expanding quick commerce operations through Minutes.
Flipkart’s Food Delivery Plans Amid IPO Uncertainty
The planned expansion comes amid uncertainty over Flipkart’s IPO timeline. Former senior executives, including Mukesh Bansal, Sanjay Baweja and Ankit Nagori, have urged Walmart to buy back their vested employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) holdings.
The reported requests come as the company’s public listing timeline remains uncertain.
Flipkart Group Reports Higher Revenue in FY26
On the financial front, Flipkart Group reported an 18.2% year-on-year increase in consolidated revenue from operations to Rs 1.45 lakh crore in FY26.
The group’s consolidated net loss narrowed marginally by 2.1% to Rs 8,468 crore in FY26, compared with Rs 8,646 crore in FY25.
The planned food delivery launch would expand Flipkart’s presence in online services as competition intensifies across food delivery and quick commerce, with restaurant pricing and platform costs emerging as key areas of focus.
FAQs
1. What is Flipkart’s new food delivery service called?
Flipkart’s planned food delivery service is called Eat-in by Minutes.
2. When is Flipkart planning to launch Eat-in by Minutes publicly?
Flipkart is reportedly targeting an October-end public launch, with plans to expand to five or six cities by the end of 2026.
3. What commission is Flipkart reportedly proposing for restaurants?
Flipkart has reportedly proposed a base commission of around 10%, compared with the 20% to 25% typically charged by established platforms.
4. Which companies are competing in the food delivery market?
The article mentions Zomato, Swiggy, Rapido’s Ownly, Swish Go and Curefoods’ MegaBite as participants in the competitive food delivery market.
5. What were Flipkart Group’s financial results in FY26?
Flipkart Group reported consolidated revenue from operations of Rs 1.45 lakh crore, up 18.2% year-on-year. Its consolidated net loss narrowed 2.1% to Rs 8,468 crore from Rs 8,646 crore in FY25.
