Page 8 - Linkpin 2024-25

Zomato: Digitising the Food Experience Swiggy: Building a Hyperlocal Delivery
Sector: Food Technology Infrastructure
Disruption Type: Aggregator Model, Market Sector: Hyperlocal Logistics and Food Delivery
Access Innovation Disruption Type: Last-Mile Innovation, Service
Aggregation
Founded in 2008, Zomato started as a restaurant
discovery portal and evolved into a full-stack food
delivery platform. It tackled inefficiencies in the Founded in 2014, Swiggy entered a
restaurant industry by enabling real-time ordering, competitive market but quickly stood out through
logistics, and customer feedback through a single operational control. Unlike other aggregators, it
digital interface.The introduction of Zomato built an in-house delivery fleet, enabling quality
Pro, a subscription-based loyalty programme, control and faster service. This focus on last-mile
further deepened customer engagement. Beyond fulfilment—a previously under-addressed area—
aggregation, Zomato empowered small and medium- was a major differentiator. The addition of services
sized restaurants with data insights, marketing like Swiggy Genie and Instamart expanded its scope
tools, and delivery infrastructure (Gupta, 2021). beyond food delivery, positioning it as a full-stack
Its acquisition of Uber Eats India in 2020 further convenience provider. With scalable logistics and
solidified its market position (Economic Times, AI-driven route optimisation, Swiggy has become
2020). integral to urban convenience culture.

Key Innovation: Hyper-local delivery infrastructure Key Innovation: End-to-end logistics with real-
powered by real-time data and scalable tech. time tracking and reliable delivery networks.
Impact: Created a digital-first food culture and Impact: Introduced the 10-minute delivery concept
helped thousands of eateries thrive online. and reshaped urban convenience.

Zerodha: A Fintech Revolution in Broking
Sector: Financial Services
Disruption Type: Cost Leadership, Fintech
Enablement

Launched in 2010, Zerodha disrupted India’s
stockbroking landscape with its zero-brokerage
model for equity investments and a flat-fee structure
for intraday and derivatives trading. By removing
commission complexities and lowering costs, it
made capital markets accessible to a new generation
of retail investors (Livemint, 2020). The firm also
pioneered investor education through platforms
like Varsity and provided intuitive trading tools
such as Kite. With a focus on transparency and
user empowerment, Zerodha became India’s largest
retail brokerage firm by active clients—all without
external funding (Business Standard, 2021).

Key Innovation: Flat-fee brokerage and simple,
self-service digital platforms.
Impact: Democratized trading and sparked a wave
of fin-tech-led accessibility.
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