In brief: Indian bus app Shuttl sees future in food

Bus aggregator Shuttl has entered the hotly contested food-delivery space by launching meals on buses for daily commuters, as it looks to further monetize its captive customer base.

After a pilot started in October last year with 50 buses, the Gurgaon-based company plans to scale up the offering this year by providing meals on 1,200 buses, most of which operate in the Delhi region.

Source: The Economic Times

Shuttl allows commuters to book buses on demand, determine pick-up and drop-off points, and pay for tickets online using voice recognition. Amit Singh, co-founder of Shuttl, said that about 90 percent of its users bought food while traveling on its buses during the pilot scheme. “We are working with cloud kitchens and building an ordering product to scale this offering,” he said.

The startup could follow up by offering daily essentials like bread, butter, eggs, milk, and yogurt for sale on its buses, Singh added.

Shuttl expects to hit operational breakeven next month (thanks to bigger buses), improved occupancy levels, and an increase in prices. It banked US$11 million in an Amazon-led funding round last July.