In a move to promote healthier eating habits, food delivery giant Zomato has rolled out a new feature called 'Healthy Mode'. This innovative addition to the platform aims to help users make more informed decisions about their meal choices by providing nutritional ratings for dishes.

Nutritional Scoring System

The 'Healthy Mode' feature introduces a comprehensive scoring system for meals, ranging from Low to Super. This rating is based on several key nutritional factors:

• Protein content
• Complex carbohydrates
• Fiber
• Micronutrients

Zomato employs artificial intelligence along with restaurant data to determine these scores, offering users a quick and easy way to assess the nutritional value of their potential meal choices.

Phased Rollout

The feature has made its debut in Gurugram, with plans for expansion to other cities in the coming weeks. This gradual rollout allows Zomato to refine the feature based on user feedback and real-world performance.

CEO's Perspective

Deepinder Goyal, CEO of Zomato, shared insights into the motivation behind this new feature. He acknowledged that while Zomato had succeeded in making food ordering more convenient, the platform had fallen short in guiding users towards genuinely healthy meal options.

Goyal emphasized the high standards of the 'Healthy Mode' feature, stating that it's reliable enough for even professional athletes to use for their meal selections. This underscores Zomato's commitment to providing accurate and valuable nutritional information to its users.

Addressing Past Shortcomings

The introduction of 'Healthy Mode' also comes as a response to what Goyal described as an "uneasy" feeling about Zomato's role in facilitating indulgent eating habits without making healthier options equally accessible. This new feature represents a step towards balancing convenience with health-conscious choices.

User Feedback and Future Refinements

As the feature rolls out, Zomato is actively encouraging users to provide feedback. This user input will be crucial in refining and improving the 'Healthy Mode' feature, ensuring it meets the needs and expectations of Zomato's diverse user base.

The launch of 'Healthy Mode' marks a significant step in Zomato's evolution, as it seeks to not only connect users with restaurants but also promote healthier eating habits. As the feature expands to more cities, it has the potential to influence food choices and contribute to improved dietary habits among its users.

In a significant move that's likely to impact consumers, major food delivery platforms in India, including Zomato, have increased their fees ahead of the festive season. This industry-wide adjustment reflects the rising costs in India's competitive food delivery sector.

Zomato's Fee Hike

Zomato, one of India's leading food delivery platforms, has raised its platform fee to ₹12.50, excluding GST. This increase puts Zomato's fees slightly lower than its main competitor, Swiggy, but still represents a notable rise for consumers.

Industry-Wide Trend

The fee hike is not isolated to Zomato:

These simultaneous increases across major platforms indicate a broader trend in the food delivery industry, possibly driven by rising operational costs and the need for improved profitability.

Additional GST Impact

Adding to the cost increase, an additional 18% GST levy on delivery charges is set to take effect from September 22. This is expected to further impact consumer costs:

• Zomato users may see an approximate increase of ₹2.00 per order.
• Swiggy customers could face an increase of about ₹2.60 per order.

Interestingly, Magicpin stated that it already pays 18% GST on food-delivery costs, meaning the GST changes will not affect its cost structure or impact consumers.

Implications for Consumers and the Industry

These fee hikes and additional GST charges are likely to make food delivery slightly more expensive for consumers across India. For companies like Zomato, platform fees have become an important additional revenue source, helping to offset operational costs in the competitive food delivery market.

As the festive season approaches, it remains to be seen how these price increases will affect consumer behavior and the overall dynamics of the food delivery industry. While the platforms aim to balance their operational costs, they must also consider customer retention in an increasingly price-sensitive market.

For Zomato and its competitors, the challenge will be maintaining growth and market share while adapting to the evolving cost structures in India's dynamic food delivery landscape.