CHENNAI: Zomato is preparing to share customer data with restaurants, a move that could reshape how India’s food-delivery industry works. According to reports, the company is close to an agreement with the National Restaurants Association of India to allow restaurants access to basic customer details — mainly phone numbers — but only after users give clear consent.
For restaurants, this marks a breakthrough. Many have long argued that delivery platforms control all the customer information while restaurants themselves remain disconnected from their own diners. With access to contact details, restaurants expect to build direct relationships, send targeted offers and understand ordering patterns better.
Zomato’s decision, however, also raises concerns. Even with consent built in, privacy advocates worry about how responsibly restaurants will use this information. There is also the risk that users may face more promotional messages unless strict limits are enforced.
Regulators are watching the development closely. The Competition Commission of India has previously been asked to examine whether platforms misuse the data they collect from restaurants. Allowing eateries to access customer details could reshape competition in an already fierce market. At the same time, some restaurant groups have complained that Zomato and Swiggy have used their data to push their own private-label food brands, intensifying tensions in the ecosystem.
For consumers, the impact could go either way. Those who opt in may get more relevant deals and better engagement from restaurants they already like. Others may see it as another channel for marketing messages. The government has reportedly urged delivery companies to give customers a simple and transparent way to decide whether they want to share their information.
If Zomato goes ahead, industry observers expect other platforms — including Swiggy — to adopt similar policies. The shift could redefine how customer data is handled in India’s food-delivery sector, creating new advantages for restaurants but also new responsibilities around privacy and user protection.