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Ola Acquires Food Delivery Startup Foodpanda

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OLA ACQUIRES FOOD DELIVERY STARTUP FOODPANDA, Ola acquires Foodpanda India commits $200 million for food delivery biz, Ola acquires Foodpanda India second attempt at food delivery, Ola acquires Foodpanda to enter food delivery business in India, startup stories

Ola, the homegrown taxi hailing startup has acquired the online food ordering and delivery startup, Foodpanda in exchange for a percentage of Ola’s stock. The cab aggregator startup announced a further investment of $ 200 million into Foodpanda’s India business over a period of time.

Ola has acquired the food delivery company from its German parent Delivery Hero in an all stock deal. However, the details of the share stock acquisition were not disclosed. With this acquisition, Ola will be able to enter the online food ordering and delivery industry.

Speaking about the acquisition, the co founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ola Bhavish Aggarwal said, “Our commitment to invest $ 200 million in Foodpanda India will help the business be focused on growth by creating value for customers and partners. With Delivery Hero’s global leadership and Ola’s platform capabilities with unique local insights, this partnership is born out of strength.

Post the acquisition, the current Chief Executive Officer of Foodpanda, Saurabh Kochhar will move on from his current role. Meanwhile, the founding partner of Ola, Pranay Jivrajka will take on the business as interim CEO. According to the transportation startup, the $ 200 million investment by Ola is more capital than any of Foodpanda’s competitors in India have raised to date. This collaboration will help Foodpanda India grow as the most preferred online food delivery service in the country, Ola added in a statement.

Speaking about the new partnership with Ola, the Chief Executive Officer and co founder of Delivery Hero, Niklas Östberg said,“The partnership with Ola will allow us to further consolidate markets where it strategically makes sense to collaborate with leading local players. At the same time, we consider our stake in Ola as a very valuable asset, while Ola’s investment commitment in Foodpanda India is a clear and confident signal to the Indian market.” 

Recently, Ola, based in Bengaluru, raised $ 1.1 billion from SoftBank Group and Tencent Holdings and is looking to further receive another $ 1 billion from the investors. FoodTech giants such as Swiggy and Zomato currently dominate the lucrative food delivery industry, while global taxi hailing firm Uber has also launched its food delivery service UberEATS in the Indian market.

Last month, Swiggy launched its mobile kitchen service, Swiggy Access and went on to acquire gourmet food startup 48East. The online food ordering and delivery platform also announced a new partnership with the employee benefits provider, Sodexo. Meanwhile, Zomato launched its exclusive membership programme, Zomato Gold, which provides users exclusive dine out services including complimentary meals and drinks.

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Zoho Pay Debuts as India’s New UPI Challenger, Taking on PhonePe, Paytm, and Google Pay

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Zoho Payment

Zoho Corporation has expanded its fintech portfolio with the launch of Zoho Pay, a UPI-based payments app built to challenge India’s top digital payment giants such as PhonePe, Paytm, and Google Pay. The new app supports peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, QR-based transactions, and merchant settlements in a streamlined interface. Available as both a standalone app and an integrated feature inside Zoho’s privacy-driven messenger Arattai, Zoho Pay enables users to handle chats and payments in one platform, emphasizing data privacy and Made-in-India innovation.​

Through seamless integration with Arattai, Zoho Pay allows users to send or request payments, split expenses, and conduct UPI-based transactions directly in their chat windows. Users can link bank accounts, scan dynamic QR codes, and receive audio confirmations of payments, ensuring speed and security. This design mirrors the simplicity of India’s leading UPI apps but is powered by Zoho’s non-advertising, privacy-first model. The integration aligns with Zoho’s mission to build a self-reliant digital ecosystem, where messaging and money management coexist securely.​

In the competitive digital payments market, Zoho Pay differentiates itself through its tight business software integration with apps like Zoho Books, Zoho Payroll, and Zoho Commerce, offering small businesses unified access to payments, billing, and accounting. The company is also expanding its reach with POS devices for merchants featuring UPI QR, card payments, and instant reconciliation tools. With founder Sridhar Vembu’s vision of a ‘Chat + Pay’ ecosystem, Zoho Pay reflects a bold step toward redefining India’s fintech scene with a secure, ad-free, and locally developed alternative to global payment platforms.

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Meta Expands AI-Powered Reels Translation to Hindi and Portuguese, Enhancing Global Creator Reach

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Meta has expanded its AI-powered translation feature for Reels to include Hindi and Portuguese, joining English and Spanish in empowering creators to reach a broader global audience on Instagram and Facebook. Originally launched in August 2025 with support for English and Spanish, this update now allows creators to seamlessly translate and dub their short videos, breaking language barriers across some of the largest Reels markets worldwide. The AI technology mimics the creator’s voice tone and even offers lip-syncing to ensure the translated videos feel natural and engaging for viewers.​

This enhancement is especially significant for India, the largest market for Facebook and Instagram, where over 600 million people speak Hindi. Content creators who are not fluent in Hindi can now easily access this vast audience, increasing their reach and engagement across diverse linguistic groups. To maintain transparency, all translated Reels are clearly labeled with “Translated with Meta AI,” and viewers can choose to switch translations on or off based on their preference.​

In addition to voice dubbing, Meta is developing features to translate captions and text stickers on Reels, making content more accessible even without sound. These AI translation tools are available free for eligible public Instagram accounts and Facebook creator profiles with over 1,000 followers. This innovation reinforces Meta’s commitment to fostering cross-cultural content sharing and enhancing creators’ ability to connect with audiences around the world through short-form videos.

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Dunzo’s Collapse: Reliance’s ₹1,645 Crore Loss Signals Challenges in India’s Hyperlocal Delivery Market

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Startup Stories

Reliance Industries has officially written off its $200 million investment in Dunzo, a once promising quick-commerce startup in India. Despite high-profile backing and the potential to disrupt the hyperlocal delivery sector, Dunzo faced insurmountable challenges including high operational costs, unsustainable cash burn, and stiff competition from larger players like Zepto and Blinkit. Reliance’s decision follows Dunzo’s operational suspension, leadership exits, and failed attempts at securing additional funding or acquisition partners, ultimately resulting in the company’s digital platforms going offline in early 2025.​

The downfall of Dunzo was accelerated by its inability to maintain a healthy balance between rapid expansion and revenue growth, with losses in FY23 reaching an alarming ₹1,800 crore. With monthly expenses crossing ₹100 crore and mounting pressure to scale, Dunzo resorted to layoffs and delayed payments before shutting down most services outside Bengaluru. Reliance’s significant stake, initially seen as a strategic advantage, ended up limiting the startup’s flexibility in making independent decisions during its final months.​

Reliance’s write-off sends a strong message to India’s startup ecosystem about the risks inherent in quick-commerce and hyperlocal delivery models. Investors are increasingly focused on sustainable growth, disciplined scaling, and profitability. For Reliance, lessons from Dunzo’s collapse are shaping future e-commerce strategies, driving greater emphasis on operational efficiency and prudent financial planning in an intensely competitive market.

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