Flipkart said to pilot food delivery in Q2 2026

Flipkart, owned by Walmart, is considering entering India’s online food delivery market, with a pilot planned in Bengaluru around May–June, according to sources.

The company is exploring options for a standalone platform or a buyer-side app on the ONDC, after previous plans to enter the sector did not advance.

Flipkart has begun assembling a team for the initiative but did not respond to requests for comment.

India’s food delivery market, valued at about US$9 billion in fiscal 2025, is expected to grow to US$25 billion by FY30, with Zomato and Swiggy currently leading.

The move comes amid increased competition, with new formats and players like Rapido’s Ownly expanding in Bengaluru.

Several companies, including Ola and Uber, have previously exited or scaled back their food delivery efforts.

🔗 Source: The Economic Times

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Flipkart uses an existing network instead of building a new one

Using the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) lets Flipkart run a buyer-side app without creating its own restaurant network from scratch 1.
The approach adds another service to a wider bundle. That bundle already spans the core marketplace, fashion via Myntra, quick commerce with Flipkart Minutes, and travel through Cleartrip 2.
ONDC also keeps early spending down in the Bengaluru pilot. That matters while the company works to lift profitability ahead of a potential IPO (initial public offering) 3.

E-commerce players may be shoring up defenses as quick commerce grows

Platforms such as Flipkart are moving into frequent-use areas like food and grocery delivery as more spending shifts to instant delivery apps, analysts say 4.
Food orders can keep people coming back more often. Those repeat purchases can feed transaction data that supports cross-selling higher-margin items on Flipkarts main marketplace.
New moves from Flipkart and Amazon may raise rivalry and push fresh cash burn. Margins could tighten across the field as incumbents like Swiggy and Zomatos Blinkit had started to focus on profitability, analysts say 4.