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

Uber, the Americancab aggregator, has a firm footing in India and wants to expand further not only in the taxi-segment but also in food delivery. The company has finally launched 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 request a ride and has been built specifically to make food delivery as seamless as possible. Starting today, consumers can download the new app for iOS and Android 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 of Mumbai 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 more personalised experience and quick service to homes and even parks.

UberEATS was launched in 2014 and has spread to more than 40,000 restaurants globally but considering that other popular apps like Zomato and Swiggy have been dominating the online food delivery in India,

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

Commenting on the launch, Bhavik Rathod, Head of UberEATS India, said, "Mumbai is home to a booming food industry with a vibrant food culture offering both global and local cuisines. The introduction of UberEATS in India, with Mumbai as the first city, is a major step in our global expansion and showcases our commitment to the region. The app brings the perfect pairing of amazing restaurant partners, innovative technology, and the efficient Uber delivery network at a tap of a button to people in India. The wide selection of meal choices delivered at Uber speed will open new economic opportunities for delivery partners, enable restaurants to connect with more consumers 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 new foods and enjoy more of what their cities have to offer.

Smart Curation & Specialization - This feature allows users to view food photos and allows broad cuisine search for a mouth-watering experience, while the suggestion carousels bubble up restaurants which users will love. The application of machine learning enables creation of individualized taste preferences, and customised restaurants and dishes for each user based on their past orders and current contextual information. Now consumers can easily find and order the right food for the moment at the push of a button.

Scheduled Orders - For those in a rush, UberEATS brings the intersection of convenience and reliability, UberEATs offers consumers the capability to schedule an order ahead of time. Consumers can order anytime up to 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, so that consumers can monitor their order and be assured of their order being reliably delivered to their location.

Customize drop-off - Expanding delivery to more places in India, customize drop-off feature gives more choice and convenience to consumers. Now, consumers can get food delivered with ease and convenience no matter where they are by choosing specific information about delivery location. Some of the places getting added to UberEATS delivery are hospitals, parks and office buildings.

For Restaurant Partners - UberEATS will help local restaurants reach new consumers and deliver their food fast, efficiently and reliably. Offering a reliable turnkey delivery option, UberEATS effectively expands restaurant capacity and reach to be able to service a whole new network of potential consumers and significant additional revenue stream.

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

For Delivery Partners - UberEATS offers delivery partners a flexible 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 picking up from restaurants is a highly variable experience based on the location and configuration of the restaurant. UberEATS has built in step-by-step pick-up instruction functionality, wherein Uber delivery-partner app gathers granular pick-up information for even the most difficult-to-navigate restaurants, share that with delivery partners so they can quickly and easily locate the order as well as deliver it on time.

UberEATS has been launched in Mumbai in partnership with more than 200 restaurant partners, including local players like The Bohri Kitchen, Nom Nom, The Bombay Canteen, The Good Wife, Fresh Menu, Le 15, Coffee By Di Bella and global names like Krispy Kreme, Chillies, etc. Consumers will be able to order 7 days a week, round the clock, as long as the restaurants are operational, through the app

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