Shantanu Deshpande, CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, has raised an alarm about India's growing addiction to quick food delivery, calling it a health epidemic in the making.
In a strongly-worded LinkedIn post, Deshpande criticized the reliance on processed and ultra-processed meals that dominate the menus of delivery platforms, often packed with palm oil and sugar.
“Our junk food addiction, fueled by ₹49 pizzas, ₹20 energy drinks, and ₹30 burgers, is steering us down the path of the US and China—without the economic safety net for healthcare,” Deshpande wrote, urging food delivery giants like Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto to rethink their approach.
"Zomato and Swiggy and Zepto - please, don't. And if you are so keen, please make the product palatable. I would love if we innovate and are able to actually give non-stale and decent food in 10 min. Massive unlock. But I don't think we're close to there yet".
Deshpande shared his shock at the industry’s race to deliver meals in record time.
“Cook time: 2 minutes. Delivery time: 8 minutes. A ‘qcom for food’ founder told me this, and I lost my mind,” he wrote. The CEO also slammed the use of frozen ingredients dressed up to appear fresh, transported by delivery riders speeding through traffic to meet unrealistic timelines.
The startup founder argued that India’s obsession with convenience food poses a serious threat to long-term public health. “The gut is the epicenter of your existence. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT,” he warned.
Deshpande directed his message not only at businesses and investors but also at regulators and consumers. He called on regulators to ensure better oversight of food quality, even within the 10-minute delivery framework.
To consumers, his advice was simple: cook. “No one is too busy to spend 10 minutes making dal chawal, a smoothie, a salad, or a sandwich. It’s an adult skill. Learn it,” he urged, cautioning that reliance on quick meals could lead to serious long-term health issues.
Deshpande’s post struck a chord with many on social media. While some echoed his concerns, others suggested regulatory reforms to separate food preparation time from delivery time to ensure quality.