Zomato Partners MakeMyTrip To Strengthen “Food On Train” Biz

Eternal-owned food delivery major Zomato has partnered with online travel aggregator (OTA) major MakeMyTrip to strengthen its food delivery service on trains. The partnership will allow the food delivery major to deliver food at 130 more railway stations across the country.

Under this partnership, MakeMyTip will leverage its “Live Train Status” tool to track real-time train location and status during the journey. Besides, the passengers can place their order via MMT’s app by entering their respective details, including PNR number and preferred delivery station.

Both the companies rolled out this feature on the back of receiving encouraging response during the initial soft launch, the OTA said in a statement. “This collaboration with Zomato builds on that momentum and will contribute to strategically unlocking one of the fastest-growing consumption opportunities in India’s mobility ecosystem,” MMT business and marketing chief Raj Rishi Singh said.

This collaboration taps into the expanding e-catering market, enhancing the travel experience for passengers and presenting significant growth opportunities for both Zomato and MMT. In FY25, over 90,000 passengers utilised Indian Railways’ e-catering services daily, reflecting a 66% YoY growth.

The $500 Mn online train food ordering market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15% by 2033. As per a market report, IRCTC E-catering, Travelkhana and Zomato are likely the largest players in the train food delivery market, collectively holding more than half of the market share. 

Zomato partnered with the  Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for supply and delivery of pre-ordered meals on a pilot basis in 2023. Since its pilot launch, Zomato expanded the service across more than 100 railway stations in the country last year. 

On the financial front, Zomato parent Eternal saw its net profit crash 90% YoY to INR 25 Cr in Q1 FY26. However, its operating revenue surged over 70% to INR 7,167 Cr during the quarter under review. Its food delivery business reported a lacklustre growth, with its revenue growing at a 17% YoY to INR 2,261 Cr.

Meanwhile, Nasdaq-listed MakeMyTrip posted a 23% increase in its net profit to $25.8 Mn during Q1 FY26 from $21 Mn in the year-ago quarter. Its top line grew 5.6% to $268.9 Mn in the quarter under review from $254.5 Mn in the same quarter last year. On a QoQ basis, it rose 10% from $245.5 Mn. 

Shares of Eternal ended today’s trading session up 0.27% at INR 328.20.