When Zomato was founded in 2008 (as FoodieBay), India, with an internet penetration of only 4-5%, didn’t have a food delivery market in the way we understand it today. Ordering food online wasn’t a habit, in fact, it was barely a concept. Most people dined out, called local restaurants for takeout, or simply cooked at home. The infrastructure, technology, and consumer mindset required for an online food delivery ecosystem that simply didn’t exist.
And yet, Zomato not only entered this non-existent market, it built and dominated it.
Understanding the Market Behaviour
In the mid-2000s, India’s food industry was largely offline. Restaurant discovery happened through word of mouth or printed menus collected in drawers. Delivery was limited to your neighborhood eatery. The idea of browsing multiple menus online, comparing ratings, ordering from an app, and expecting food at your doorstep in 30 minutes felt far-fetched to most.
There were structural challenges too:
- Low smartphone and internet penetration
- Skepticism around online payments
- Lack of delivery logistics
- Cultural emphasis on home-cooked food
This was the landscape Zomato walked into, and disrupted.
Zomato’s Evolution: From Menu Cards to Meal Deliveries
Zomato began not as a food delivery platform, but as FoodieBay, a digital restaurant directory where users could view scanned menus. It solved a simple but universal problem: “Where do we eat tonight?”
By focusing on convenience, design, and a growing database, Zomato became a go-to for urban diners. It was the first step in shifting consumer behaviour, from discovering food offline to exploring it online.
Gradually, the company evolved its offerings:
- 2010–2014: Expanded into international markets, reviews, and mobile apps.
- 2015 onwards: Zomato entered the food delivery space, competing directly with startups like Swiggy and international players like UberEats.
Changing Consumer Behaviour, One Order at a Time
Zomato’s success wasn’t just in logistics or tech, it lay in reshaping how Indians think about food.
1. Normalizing Eating Out (From Home)
Zomato made eating from restaurants a frequent, casual event, not a weekend luxury. By offering food at your doorstep, it transformed the “eating out” experience into “eating in.”
2. The Rise of App Culture
For many Indians, Zomato was their first experience with ordering food online. The UI was intuitive, colorful, and playful, designed not for the tech-savvy elite, but for the masses. It introduced users to online tracking, digital payments, and real-time customer service.
3. Trust through Transparency
Ratings, reviews, hygiene badges, and delivery time guarantees built trust. In a country where “outside food” often raised safety concerns, Zomato positioned itself as a credible mediator.
4. Emotional Branding & Communication
Zomato’s marketing being witty, relatable, and hyperlocal played a significant role in making Zomato more than a utility. It became a brand with a personality, deeply integrated into pop culture, memes, and everyday conversations.
Zomato’s relatable campaigns didn’t just capture consumer attention, they soon began coming into boardroom conversations of marketing agencies.
5. New Behaviours, New Habits
Flash sales, late-night delivery, one-click reordering, and monthly subscriptions (like Zomato Gold/Pro) created new eating habits. Consumers no longer waited for a weekend, biryani could be a Tuesday night plan.
From Market Creation to Market Domination
Zomato didn’t just ride a wave, it created one. It educated consumers, empowered restaurants, and influenced the rise of cloud kitchens, dark stores, and food tech innovation.
Even during the pandemic, when food delivery faced existential questions, Zomato adapted, offering contactless delivery, promoting hygiene, and even foraying into grocery delivery temporarily.By 2021, Zomato became the first Indian food delivery startup to go public, a symbolic moment for a company that started with just menu scans.
What We Learn from Zomato’s Journey
Zomato is a classic example of category creation in India’s digital economy. It succeeded not by fitting into consumer behaviour but by transforming it.
It didn’t ask: “How do people order food?” but instead, it asked: “How can we make them want to?”
The rest, as they say, was delivered.
Key Takeaways:
- Instead of fitting into existing habits, Zomato rewired how Indians think about food.
- Consumer habits can be reshaped with trust, technology, and storytelling.
- In India, convenience combined with cultural relevance is a winning formula.
Links and Sources:
- Individuals using the Internet (% of population) – India (World Bank Data)
- Zomato’s ad explains Bengaluru’s “Super Weather” (Economic Times)
- The making of Zomato Gold (Zomato Blog)
- Zomato’s Push Towards Cloud Kitchen (Inc42)
- Zomato Offers Contactless Delivery (News18)
- Zomato was the first modern Indian tech startup to go public (Money Control)
- Zomato’s DRHP for IPO filing (SEBI)
Leave a comment