Uber launches new food delivery app to directly compete with Zomato, Swiggy and Foodpanda

Uber, the American cab aggregator, has a firm footing in India and wants to expand furthernot only in the taxi-segment but also in food delivery. The company has finallylaunched UberEATS, a service that will directly compete with the likes of Zomato,Swiggy and Food Panda.

The UberEATS app is separate to the Uber app people use to requesta ride and has been built specifically to make food delivery as seamless aspossible. Starting today, consumers can download the new app for iOS andAndroid from the iTunes/Google play store or go online at ubereats.com

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The service has been initially rolled out in the city ofMumbai but the company plans to expand to six other major cities in some time.The app uses advance technology like machine learning to offer a morepersonalised experience and quick service to homes and even parks.

UberEATS was launched in 2014 and has spread to more than40,000 restaurants globally but considering that other popular apps like Zomatoand Swiggy have been dominating the online food delivery in India,

UberEATs will have to battle it out with them to make somespace in the growing market.

Commenting on the launch, Bhavik Rathod, Head of UberEATSIndia, said, "Mumbai is home to a booming food industry with a vibrantfood culture offering both global and local cuisines. The introduction ofUberEATS in India, with Mumbai as the first city, is a major step in our globalexpansion and showcases our commitment to the region. The app brings theperfect pairing of amazing restaurant partners, innovative technology, and theefficient Uber delivery network at a tap of a button to people in India. Thewide selection of meal choices delivered at Uber speed will open new economicopportunities for delivery partners, enable restaurants to connect with moreconsumers and make eating effortless, everywhere and for everyone."

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Here are the technology features built in UberEATS app:

For Consumers (Users) - UberEATS helps users discover newfoods and enjoy more of what their cities have to offer.

Smart Curation & Specialization - This feature allowsusers to view food photos and allows broad cuisine search for a mouth-wateringexperience, while the suggestion carousels bubble up restaurants which userswill love. The application of machine learning enables creation of individualizedtaste preferences, and customised restaurants and dishes for each user based ontheir past orders and current contextual information. Now consumers can easilyfind and order the right food for the moment at the push of a button.

Scheduled Orders - For those in a rush, UberEATS brings theintersection of convenience and reliability, UberEATs offers consumers thecapability to schedule an order ahead of time. Consumers can order anytime upto an hour before the desired delivery window, and as far as a week in advance.The app lets the users track their order through every step of the process, sothat consumers can monitor their order and be assured of their order beingreliably delivered to their location.

Customize drop-off - Expanding delivery to more places inIndia, customize drop-off feature gives more choice and convenience toconsumers. Now, consumers can get food delivered with ease and convenience nomatter where they are by choosing specific information about delivery location.Some of the places getting added to UberEATS delivery are hospitals, parks andoffice buildings.

For Restaurant Partners - UberEATS will help localrestaurants reach new consumers and deliver their food fast, efficiently andreliably. Offering a reliable turnkey delivery option, UberEATS effectivelyexpands restaurant capacity and reach to be able to service a whole new networkof potential consumers and significant additional revenue stream.

Restaurant Manager - The app makes it simpler for restaurantpartners to control order flow, manage menus, and improve exposure. RestaurantManager, a new analytics tool has been rolled out to empower restaurantpartners to make data-driven decisions. The tool offers restaurants access toactionable data and insights about their service quality, consumersatisfaction, and sales to help make specific adjustments to improve theirbusiness. 

For Delivery Partners - UberEATS offers delivery partners aflexible and reliable way to make money on a schedule that works for them.Delivery partners work when they want, and deliver food on a bike

Guided Pick-ups - For delivery partners, parking and pickingup from restaurants is a highly variable experience based on the location andconfiguration of the restaurant. UberEATS has built in step-by-step pick-upinstruction functionality, wherein Uber delivery-partner app gathers granularpick-up information for even the most difficult-to-navigate restaurants, sharethat with delivery partners so they can quickly and easily locate the order aswell as deliver it on time.

UberEATS has been launched in Mumbai in partnership withmore than 200 restaurant partners, including local players like The BohriKitchen, Nom Nom, The Bombay Canteen, The Good Wife, Fresh Menu, Le 15, CoffeeBy Di Bella and global names like Krispy Kreme, Chillies, etc. Consumers willbe able to order 7 days a week, round the clock, as long as the restaurants areoperational, through the app

Food prices are set by restaurant partners according totheir own menu and there's a delivery fee of INR 15, inclusive of taxes. Thereis no minimum order size.