The growing online food delivery fleet in Vizag

One sunny afternoon, while passing through the bustling streets of Vizag, little Jack, who was returning to the city after two years, spotted many riders hustling through on their bikes while carrying bags with flashy logos and following GPS systems tracking routes. Curiosity gripped the child as the sight was something he hadn’t noticed before in the city before he last left…

Now Jack here represents the thoughts of many people in Vizag. The last few months have witnessed an unprecedented surge in the use of online food ordering and delivery apps. Multiple big names in the food delivery sector, such as Uber Eats, Zomato, and Swiggy, in addition to a few other players, have forayed into the city of destiny and seemed to have set an all-new trend here.

While the availability of a wide choice of restaurants and appreciable delivery durations have been the major talking points, attractive discounts and lesser delivery charges are proving to be a deciding factor in getting one app’s nose ahead of the others.

“Given the fast-changing landscape of Vizag, the entry of these popular food delivery apps into the market here comes as a no surprise. However, I must admit, the rate in which the denizens here have embraced these services did come as a bit of shocker to me. It has become a common sight off-late to spot these delivery boys on most of the city’s roads, irrespective of the time and weather conditions,” says Prrathik, who had shifted to Vizag from Hyderabad about a year ago.

The youngsters too, are exuding interest in joining these companies for either full-time or part-time jobs. “I started working as a part-time delivery boy to support my financial needs,” shares Raju (name changed), who works for a prominent food delivery app.

As Prrathik rightly pointed out, Vizag is fast turning into a major hub for a variety of activities. Several IT and manufacturing companies have signed pacts with the government to set up their firms in the port city, and it remains to be seen if the growing fleet of these food delivery apps is an indication of the city‘s shift towards an eminent metropolitan.