Indian ride-hailing service Rapido has launched its mobile app, Ownly, entering the food delivery sector.

The company tested the app internally among its employees for several weeks ahead of the public rollout, and the service is initially operational in select areas of Bengaluru, such as Koramangala, HSR and BTM Layout, as reported by the Business Standard.

This launch follows recent discussions between Rapido and the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI), which represents a significant number of eateries across the country.

The NRAI has been seeking alternatives to existing food delivery platforms such Swiggy and Zomato, which are known for their high commission rates.

With Rapido, restaurant partners will cover the delivery fees for orders within a 4km radius.

For orders priced at Rs100 ($1.14) or under, the delivery fee is set at Rs10 ($0.11), with customers paying Rs20. For orders between Rs100 and Rs400, the delivery charge will be Rs25, plus applicable goods and services tax.

Orders exceeding Rs400 will incur a delivery fee of Rs50.

The newly launched app will be competing with other food delivery platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato and Magicpin.

The Ownly app is designed as a zero-commission platform, offering customers meals at prices comparable to those in physical restaurants, while also reducing costs for restaurant partners by eliminating hidden fees, Moneycontrol has reported.

The service will initially focus on specific neighbourhoods before expanding to more locations within Bengaluru.