Deepinder Goyal, the founder and CEO of Zomato (and parent firm Eternal), was featured on the widely discussed Raj Shamani podcast, which sparked new public attention in the ongoing competition between Zomato and Swiggy. The interview provided frank insights on strategy, competitiveness, and Zomato’s response to disruptive competitors like Swiggy, even in situations where the odds appeared to be stacked against it.

In this article, we dissect Goyal’s major observations about how Zomato has persevered in India’s fierce food-tech competition and what entrepreneurs and business executives may take away from it.

Related: CARS24 Buys CarInfo to Build Comprehensive Vehicle Ownership and Information Ecosystem

Goyal acknowledged that Zomato was slow to adopt food delivery logistics—the very aspect that made Swiggy a household name—in one of the most startling parts of the discussion.

“Swiggy started last-mile logistics in food delivery. For a couple of years, I was resisting it thinking this model can never make money.” — Deepinder Goyal, Raj Shamani Podcast

Despite initial reluctance, Zomato changed course when customer need became evident; even harsh realities like friends moving to Swiggy made it clear that the business needed to change.

Insight:

Early leadership can occasionally be surpassed by adaptation; strategic agility is listening to the market.

Goyal publicly referred to Swiggy as a “formidable food delivery competitor,” in contrast to many founders who refrain from giving credit to competitors.

“Swiggy is still a formidable food delivery competitor for us. Always tough to fight them, always. Ek inch extra room bhi nahi milta vahan pe.” — Deepinder Goyal

This degree of deference is indicative of a practical leadership approach that doesn’t avoid the realities of the business world. Zomato seems to view competition as a standard for excellence rather than as something to be avoided.

It’s interesting to note that Goyal revealed that he doesn’t actively monitor rivals or even place orders with them in order to assess their product experiences:

“Hum nahi karte hain (We don’t do it).”

He clarified that Zomato prioritizes its own vision—a concept that fosters internal innovation rather than reactive strategy—instead of imitating others.

Although Swiggy may have initially taken the lead in delivery logistics, Zomato made use of more general advantages in areas like:

Restaurant discovery

Zomato started up as a platform for restaurant reviews and discovery, which helped it stay relevant even before deliveries became popular.

Product diversification

Zomato is continuously growing its ecosystem beyond only meal delivery through acquisitions like Blinkit (quick commerce) and companies like Hyperpure.

Brand and marketing culture

The business is renowned for its innovative and culturally relevant marketing, which is a tool for engaging customers and has evolved from a campaign to a brand identity.

Goyal noted other companies like Zepto, attributing their peculiar marketing to individuals who had previously worked at Zomato, even though the podcast mostly concentrated on the competition for food delivery:

“Their marketing is quirky and nice… but the Zomato team runs it. Ex-Zomato log hain vo saare.

This demonstrates both how developing a strong internal team adds to wider industry influence and how talent mobility and cultural interaction may generate competitive buzz.

Goyal discussed the strong concentration needed to create a unicorn, going beyond strategy to emphasize commitment and passion over conventional work paradigms. This isn’t a direct competitive strategy, but it does demonstrate Zomato’s corporate culture, which fosters creativity and perseverance.

When questioned about issues like terminating delivery partners or handling fraud and customer abuse, Zomato’s approach was to create methods that strike a balance between justice and client trust (such as the “Karma” system for handling disputes).

This demonstrates a long-term resilience strategy by addressing inevitable industry problems head-on and creating regulations that safeguard the viability of businesses.

According to Deepinder Goyal’s observations from the Raj Shamani podcast, Zomato has the following strategic advantages over Swiggy and comparable competitors:

• A willingness to adapt late but decisively
• A humble recognition of competition
• A vision-first culture rather than imitation
• A brand-driven approach beyond pure delivery
• Product diversification and ecosystem expansion

These elements might be just as important, if not more so, than delivery speed or discounts in India’s quickly changing food tech scene.

Although Swiggy may have invented some features, Zomato’s overall company development and refusal to merely imitate rivals may prove to be its biggest asset in the future.