Taking a step ahead in its food delivery business, Zomato has acquired TechEagle Innovations, a Lucknow-based startup that works exclusively on drones. TechEagle will help Zomato carve a path toward drone-based food delivery in India, creating a hub to hub delivery network powered by hybrid multi-rotor drones.
TechEagle was founded in 2015 by Vikram Singh Meena. Since then, his startup has been actively involved in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, with prime focus on custom-made drones capable of carrying up to 5 kg payload.
“Zomato is one of the most innovative technology companies in India, and the only company with a singular focus on food. We are excited to be a part of the team and together build something which will certainly play a significant role in the future of primary and secondary logistics in the food supply chain in India,” Vikram said in a statement.
Zomato has been on an aggressive expansion spree, expanding its online ordering and food delivery business to 100 cities in India and launching its premium subscription program, Zomato Gold, in Jakarta and Manila. Zomato’s corporate catering business, Food@Work, has also been expanding into new territories.
“We are currently at the early stage of aerial innovations and are taking baby steps towards building a tomorrow wherein users can expect a drone to deliver the food they ordered online. We are thrilled to have Vikram and his team join us towards accomplishing this mission. Our first 'delivery job' currently is to design multi-rotor drones that can pick up a payload under 5 kg and set up drone delivery circuits for reducing the last mile delivery leg. We believe that robots powering the last mile delivery is an inevitable part of the future and hence is going to be a significant area of investment for us,” Deepinder Goyal, Founder & CEO, Zomato, said in a statement.