Uber, the cab-hailing service, inaugurated its food delivery business in Mumbai with the launch of UberEATS. Launched in 2014 in California in the United States, UberEATS now operates in 78 cities across the globe. Initially, UberEATS is only going to be available in Mumbai.
Users can download the UberEATS app from the App Store or the Play Store and start ordering food. For now, Uber is partnering with around 200 restaurants in the city. It is levying a flat charge of ₹15 per order without any limit on the orders. Right now, the only mode of payment is the PayTM e-wallet.
The service is also tied to the main Uber cab hailing app, which now also allows users in Mumbai to order food. There is a carousel on the Uber home screen that offers different categories such as 'popular in the area,' 'restaurants that can deliver quickly,' and more. There is a 'discover' section too where users can search for restaurants by cuisine, dish or the restaurant name. The app has filtres for delivery time, price, and dietary restrictions.
If a user logs in with her existing Uber email ID, the app fetches the home and office address by default, which is very convenient.
"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," Bhavik Rathod, Head of UberEats India, said in a statement.
A unique thing about the platform is that anyone with a bike can enroll to be a delivery partner with UberEATS. The delivery app will instruct the delivery person to carry the food to the right address even if there is low or no Internet connectivity. The app also provides additional instructions such as where to park the delivery vehicle.
Uber's rival Ola had begun a similar service but that shut down last year. A smaller player in the on-demand vehicle hailing service segment, Jugnoo, also has a food delivery service that operates in select cities.