Zomato in Talks to Share Customer Data with Restaurants; User Consent to Remain Key

Food-delivery giant Zomato is preparing to share customer information with restaurants, marking a major shift after nearly a decade of disputes over data masking. According to The Economic Times, Zomato is in advanced discussions with the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) and has already begun testing a feature that asks users for permission before sharing their phone numbers with restaurants for promotional communication. Under this proposed system, customer details will be shared only if users explicitly agree, addressing longstanding concerns around privacy and spam.

Restaurants have long argued that access to customer data is crucial for understanding ordering patterns, tailoring promotions, and building direct relationships with diners. At the same time, food aggregators highlight that earlier attempts at data sharing led to backlash from customers worried about misuse of information. This time, Zomato and the NRAI — which represents nearly half a million restaurants — say the initiative will be governed by strict boundaries and user-controlled consent. The push also comes as restaurants raise broader concerns over rising commissions, which they claim have increased from about 5–7% to nearly 35%, along with issues like heavy discounting.

Zomato is not alone in adopting this approach. Rapido’s new food delivery service, Ownly, has already signed a data-sharing agreement with the NRAI, and the association has begun similar discussions with Swiggy. As the online food delivery market continues to expand — projected to hit $54.97 billion in revenue in 2025 and grow to $102.43 billion by 2030 — more platforms may follow suit. The meal delivery segment alone is expected to reach 363.4 million users by 2030, with penetration at 20.2% in 2025.

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