The partnership brings together Ownly’s zero-commission model and NRAI’s industry leadership to foster transparent pricing, stronger restaurant economics and greater consumer trust.

Bengaluru, INDIA, July 29, 2026: Rapido’s standalone food delivery app, Ownly, alongside the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) today hosted the “Serving Bengaluru Together” conference at MG Road, Bengaluru to mark the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations. The event brought together leadership from NRAI and Ownly along with restaurant partners to outline a shared commitment to transparent pricing, fair restaurant economics, and an online food delivery experience built around the interests of both restaurants and customers.

A shared commitment to restaurant-first delivery

The MoU formalises Ownly’s structured partnership with the national restaurant industry body, with NRAI lending its advocacy infrastructure to help shape how the zero-commission model scales and jointly explore models that create greater value for restaurants while improving the consumer experience.. The signing was witnessed by Sagar Daryani, President, National Restaurant Association of India, CEO & Co-founder, Wow! Momo, Aravind Sanka, Head of Ownly and Ananth Narayan, Founder – JustBLR Group and NRAI Bengaluru Chapter Head, alongside restaurant partners

Commenting on the partnership, Sagar Daryani, President, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), CEO & Co-founder, Wow! Momo, said, “The restaurant industry has been seeking greater transparency and predictability in food delivery for a long time. As an industry body, our role is to work with ecosystem partners to explore models that can better address these needs and create long-term value for restaurants. This partnership with Ownly is part of that larger effort. It gives us an opportunity to understand how a zero-commission model works in practice, gather feedback from our members and continue advocating for solutions that strengthen the restaurant ecosystem while delivering a better experience for consumers.”

Commenting on Ownly’s performance since going citywide, Aravind Sanka, Head, Ownly, said: “The numbers since March are telling us something we already believed: when you remove the hidden costs, both sides of the market respond. The repeat rates we are seeing are higher than anything we saw in the pilot. That is what happens when diners trust the price on the screen, and when restaurants are not engineering their menus around a commission they resent. We built Ownly to make food delivery feel fair – for the person ordering and for the kitchen that cooked it. What we are seeing in Bengaluru tells us that fairness is also good business.”

Early performance signals

Now several months into its citywide rollout, following a successful pilot in Koramangala and HSR Layout in August 2025, Ownly presented early evidence of what its zero-commission model delivers in practice.  Partner restaurants are reporting improved margins and measurably higher repeat order rates since the platform went citywide in March 2026.  These early learnings formed the basis of the discussion with NRAI members on how evolving delivery models can better address the needs of restaurant operators.

Resetting the economics of delivery

Speaking at the event’s panel discussion, Sagar, Ananth, and Aravind discussed what zero-commission and price parity mean in practice for restaurant owners, from margin recovery and cost predictability to rebuilding diner trust through transparent pricing. The panel also addressed how value meals extend delivery access to a broader consumer base without putting pressure on restaurant margins.

NRAI emphasised three priorities for platforms like Ownly: clear, written terms on fees and pricing; stable, predictable structures that do not change every quarter; and partnership with NRAI to share data, co-create best practices, and ensure smaller operators are not left behind. NRAI will continue to monitor outcomes, share data across members, and push for replicable best practices in other cities.

Ananth Narayan, Founder, JustBLR Group and NRAI Bengaluru Chapter Head, said, “Bengaluru has always had a vibrant restaurant community and an equally engaged consumer base that continues to shape the city’s food delivery ecosystem. This partnership with Ownly is an opportunity to further strengthen delivery models that better support restaurants while enhancing convenience and value for consumers. It reflects the industry’s continued effort to work collaboratively with ecosystem partners and build solutions that contribute to the long-term sustainability of the restaurant and food delivery”

Bengaluru Restaurants Respond

The event also featured voices from Ownly’s restaurant partner community. Empire, a legacy Bengaluru restaurant with deep cultural roots, spoke about the platform’s practical impact and strong order volumes. Vidyarthi Bhavan, one of the city’s most iconic and long-standing eateries, shared its decision to join the Ownly platform. And, a popular Bengaluru-based patisserie – Amintiri, also offered its perspective; collectively underscoring that restaurants today have multiple paths to build direct, transparent relationships with their customers.

About NRAI

Founded in 1982, NRAI is the voice of over 5,00,000 restaurants across the country, representing an industry with an annual turnover of INR 5.69 lakh crores. The Mangaluru & Western Karnataka Chapter aims to bring together restaurants, QSRs, bars, cloud kitchens, and caterers under one powerful platform to address industry challenges, drive profitable growth, and put Coastal Karnataka’s unique culinary identity on the national map.

National Restaurant Association of India is the voice of the Indian Restaurant Industry. Founded in 1982, it represents the interests of 500000+ Restaurants, an industry valued at INR 5.69 lakh crores. Being the leading association of the Indian Restaurant Industry, NRAI aspires to promote and strengthen the Indian Food Service Sector. The Association in its 43rd year has a pan India presence and is governed by a committee of members and led by a President and Office Bearers. The committee consists of over 30 Restaurant CEOs / Owners representing various national and international brands from the F&B sector. The association works closely with a network of State and City Chapters across the country.

About Ownly

Ownly is a “full stack” food marketplace that enables discovery and delivery for restaurants and customers. The platform concentrates on providing everyday low prices to consumers rather than concentrating on discounts. For its restaurant partners, the platform provides a zero-cost environment that prioritizes democratic representation and enables them to concentrate on providing the best product for the best price to their loyal customers. Delivery on the platform is managed by a network of logistics partners respectfully called “Captains” that earn through providing logistics services. The Ownly platform currently has close to 20,000 restaurants and continues to scale rapidly. You can download the app on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.