MakeMyTrip will now deliver food – jumps into the ring where Zomato and Swiggy are already fighting it out

• MakeMyTrip will now deliver food from 5-star hotels – Roseate and JW Marriott.
• MMT’s announcement comes at a time when because of the coronavirus pandemic, travel and hotel aggregators are struggling as bookings come down to zero.
• But it will now be struggling in a space that is currently dominated by Zomato and Swiggy.

India’s largest travel aggregator announced a major new business vertical today – MakeMyTrip will now deliver food from 5-star hotels.

MakeMyTrip (MMT) has jumped into food delivery – a business that continues to be hot even during the coronavirus lockdown. The company has rolled out an online gourmet delivery service in partnership with luxury and premium hotel chains and independent properties across cities in India.

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MMT’s announcement comes at a time when because of the coronavirus pandemic, travel and hotel aggregators are struggling as bookings come down to zero. Flights across the world are suspended, hotels are being turned into quarantine centres, and travel is a far off thought in people's minds.

But it will now be struggling in a space that is currently dominated by Zomato and Swiggy. MMT’s announcement comes just days after Swiggy announced its partnership with Marriott hotels for – “Marriott on Wheels”.

Meanwhile, hospitality unicorn OYO too is experimenting in the food segment. According to reports, OYO is looking to enter the ready-to-eat food sector, an addition to its existing cloud kitchen network.

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“As the world adopts life-altering measures to adjust to the new order, customers are seeking options that can help them with familiar experiences in a safe and hygienic environment. Our new online gourmet delivery initiative is a step towards ensuring that food-lovers continue to enjoy their in-city fine-dining experiences by bringing their eating-out adventures to their homes,” said Deepak Tuli, Chief Business Officer, Emerging Businesses at MakeMyTrip.

Currently, the service is available in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, where MMT has partnered with Roseate and JW Marriott.

“The offering is available under the ‘Meals & Deals’ category on the home page and is being rolled-out in phases on the android and iOS platform. In the coming weeks, the company plans to extend the new offering to other cities including Pune, Jaipur, Kolkata and others,” said the company.

Group Chairman Deep Kalra and CEO Rajesh Magow had earlier announced they won't be taking their salaries from April 2020. At MMT, cancellations had started pouring in as the news of coronavirus in China began. The company did not levy any fee for processing cancellation or rescheduling requests for domestic as well as international flights up to April 30.

Recently, in a letter to their 3,450 employees, the top bosses said they will “rebound, revive and thrive again”.

Over the years, MakeMyTrip has faced many challenges and survived – the dot-com bust, 9/11 attacks, SARS epidemic, 2008-09 financial crisis and Indian aviation sector challenges in 2012 and 2019. “But for our generation, this challenge is nothing like anything before,” wrote the bosses in the letter.

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