MAM
Zomato-Blinkit deal: all one needs to know
Mumbai: Restaurant aggregator and food delivery company Zomato’s proposal to acquire quick commerce player Blinkit (formerly Grofers) will come up for board approval on 17 June 2022, when the company’s board meets to sign-off on the acquisition.
The deal estimated at $700 million has likely dropped in valuation, stripping the online grocery firm of its prized unicorn status earned last year.
The development emerged two months after reports on the merger deal via share-swap appeared. While the outlines of the deal are still being worked out, Zomato will acquire the shares of the quick commerce startup in an all-stock deal. As per the proposal, Blinkit investors will gain proportionate shares in the listed entity that amounts to a little less than 10 per cent stake in Zomato.
Softbank Vision Fund, the largest investor in Blinkit, is expected to come away with nearly four per cent stake in the food-tech company if the deal is closed.
Once the board gives its approval, Zomato may not need the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) nod to acquire the Softbank-backed startup, as it plans to make use of an exemption called ‘de-minimis’, which applies to companies of a certain size.
In August 2021, Zomato received CCI’s go ahead for a $100 million investment in Blinkit for little over nine per cent stake.
In its third quarter earnings call earlier in February, Zomato management said that it is aggressively growing in the quick commerce segment and will invest $400 million over the next two years in the category.
Later in March, Blinkit signed a merger agreement with the food aggregator company. Speculations of the deal were doing the rounds in the news since Zomato first invested in the startup. The latest developments coincide with reports of Blinkit laying off staff and delaying vendor payments due to a cash crunch.
The 10-minute grocery delivery market is expected to grow 15 times to reach $5.5 billion by 2025, as per consultancy firm RedSeer. Zomato has attempted to enter this space twice, dropping its plans due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. This latest move helps it gain ground over its arch-rival Swiggy.
Both food aggregators – Zomato and Swiggy – had diversified into grocery delivery as a natural extension of food delivery, by launching the service on their existing apps. While Swiggy continues to offer its Instamart service, Zomato withdrew from grocery deliveries in September 2021 after burning cash to the tune of several millions. Its investment in Blinkit helps it reach scale in the quick commerce sector.
There is no shortage of startups trying to be associated with the promise of quick delivery with players like Dunzo and Zepto in the mix. However, it was Blinkit (Grofers) that pioneered the 10-minute grocery delivery model.
Brands
Big Bowl appoints Lyxel & Flamingo as social and media partner
QSR brand eyes next growth phase after crossing Rs 100 crore ARR milestone
MUMBAI: Big Bowl, one of India’s largest bowl-format quick service restaurant brands from Lenexis Foodworks, has appointed Lyxel & Flamingo (L&F) as its social and media partner as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The partnership comes after the brand crossed the Rs 100 crore annual recurring revenue milestone in 2025 and aims to help accelerate its journey towards Rs 150 crore ARR in its fifth year since launch.
Big Bowl currently operates more than 250 kitchens across 50 cities and has emerged as a major player in India’s organised bowl-format food segment. Built around hearty portions and delivery-first convenience, the brand offers a wide mix of Indian, Chinese and fusion bowls designed for quick, affordable and portable consumption.
As urban consumers increasingly gravitate towards easy-to-carry and value-driven meal formats, the company sees the bowl category as a scalable format aligned with modern eating habits.
With the appointment of Lyxel & Flamingo, Big Bowl plans to consolidate its social media and digital media operations under a single partner. The move is intended to sharpen its digital reach, strengthen youth-focused storytelling and improve performance marketing outcomes.
Lyxel & Flamingo, one of India’s largest independent digital-first agencies, manages more than 350 brands and oversees advertising spends exceeding $100 million across its network.
Under the mandate, the agency will handle Big Bowl’s social media strategy, content development, digital performance marketing, media planning and buying, as well as campaign amplification across platforms.
Commenting on the partnership, Lenexis Foodworks founder and director Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal said, “Big Bowl has scaled rapidly to cross Rs 100 crore ARR and established itself as one of the largest bowl-format brands in the country. As a delivery-first, digitally native brand, our next phase of growth will be driven by sharper performance systems and stronger brand storytelling. Consolidating social and media with Lyxel & Flamingo allows us to integrate data, creativity and media precision as we scale towards our next revenue milestone.”
Lenexis Foodworks marketing head Vikas Iyer, added that the delivery-led category requires content, media and performance marketing to work closely together.
“With Lyxel & Flamingo, we aim to build a sharper social voice, stronger acquisition systems and measurable impact, ensuring the brand scales not just in presence but also in precision,” he said.
Lyxel & Flamingo chief executive officer Dev Batra, said the agency will combine data-driven marketing with creative storytelling to support Big Bowl’s growth. “Big Bowl brings the flavour, and L&F brings the fire. Our strategy combines data-led performance with engaging storytelling to help build a strong digital brand presence while delivering measurable business results,” he said.
With this partnership, Big Bowl is looking to strengthen its position as a digitally driven QSR brand, blending brand-building with performance marketing as it scales within India’s rapidly growing organised food delivery market.
