India’s mobile app for transportation, Ola and Zomato, the home-grown food discovery and ordering platform have announced a strategic partnership. Through the partnership they will offer exclusive, integrated services to their respective customers.
Ola and Zomato are looking to co-create a comprehensive ecosystem for both their audiences. Zomato is expected to integrate Ola APIs into their app to enable easy access to their customers for restaurant/dining-out options. Customers will now be able to book rides on Ola to their selected restaurants straight from the Zomato app. Zomato’s partner restaurants are likely to be setting up special zones from where customers can book Ola cab. Additionally, Ola’s mobile wallet, Ola Money, is to be integrated within the Zomato app and website as a digital payment option.
Customers using Ola Play will now be able to view restaurant/food reviews and options, order food and make reservations through a custom-made Zomato micro-app on Ola Play itself.
Ola made the announcement in a tweet from their official handle saying “Super thrilled to announce our partnership with Zomato! You can soon order via @ZomatoIN on Ola Play, & also pay for orders with Ola Money.” (sic.)
Super thrilled to announce our partnership with Zomato! You can soon order via @ZomatoIN on Ola Play, & also pay for orders with Ola Money. pic.twitter.com/ByaU6kvfhE
Saurabh Mishra, Director – Alliances at Ola, said, “This partnership with Zomato brings increased convenience, seamless mobility and dining or ordering experience to the customers of both the platforms. From bringing in the ease of scrolling through the Zomato app while enjoying an Ola Play ride, to the convenience of booking an Ola ride and paying through Ola Money at various Zomato properties, this partnership is a win-win for users on both sides. With Ola’s scale and network across a 110 cities and Zomato’s leadership in partnership in the food-tech space, this partnership has the potential to grow and create much more value for customers in the time to come.”
The partnership that interweaves the offers, payments and ease of use of both Ola and Zomato is expected to enhance user-experience.
Mukund Kulashekaran, Business Head Online Ordering at Zomato said, “We are delighted to partner with Ola in enabling a seamless mobility experience for our customers as well as help them access Zomato during their rides on Ola Play. Mobility is an essential part of the overall dining experience and Ola brings together the widest network and choice of vehicles across a 110 cities in India.”
In 2015, Zomato and entered a similar partnership with Uber, enabling Zomato customers to book cabs directly on the app. This partnership was carried out in their international markets as well. However, when Uber launched UberEats in May this year, Zomato came in direct competition with the on-demand food delivery service.
However, the partnership between Ola and Zomato means that there will be cross-selling – wherein Zomato gets to place its app inside Ola cabs. For Ola, it is an obvious proposition to take on Uber’s foray into the food space. Although Ola did launch their food delivery concept, Ola Café, in India in 2015, it was shut down within a year.
Ola and Zomato users will benefit from more value added services that the two companies plan to add in the near future.
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