Abstract

As of 2025, the Indian food delivery market was dominated by two players – Swiggy and Zomato. A startup from Pune in western India entered this highly competitive market with its app Waayu. Waayu did not charge a commission on food delivery. Instead, it charged a lump sum set up fee and minimal monthly fee. By launching Waayu, the founders, Mandar Lande (Lande) and Anirudha Kotgire (Kotgire), aimed to challenge the established model of high commission, platform fees, and developing costs, and democratize the food delivery system in the country. The two were drawing up strategies for Waayu’s rapid expansion.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the competitive dynamics of the Indian food delivery market.
• Determine the strategic position of a company using the SWOT analysis.
• Evaluate the competitive strategies for a new player in the Indian food delivery industry.

Keywords

Food delivery; Food delivery market in India; SWOT; Five Forces; Waayu; Duopoly; Duopolistic market; New entrant; New player; rivalry; new entrants; substitutes; buyer power; supplier power; disruptive innovation; Swiggy; Zomato; ONDC