Rapido partners Big Basket, Big Bazaar & Spencer's for essential deliveries across 90 cities

Bike-taxi platform Rapido deployed 70% of its driver fleet for last-mile essential supply deliveries during the COVID-19 lockdown, charging no commission. It tied up with Big Basket, Big Bazaar and Spencer's Retail, with talks underway with Grofers, Dunzo and FreshtoHome.

— FiledThu, 2 Jul, 2026, 16:19 IST·First seen Thu, 2 Jul, 2026, 16:19 IST·Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

Rapido partnered with Big Basket, Big Bazaar and Spencer's Retail for last-mile essential deliveries across 90 Indian cities during COVID-19 lockdown, deploying

Key facts

  • 90 cities
  • 70 percent of fleet on-ground
  • 118 deaths
  • 4,300 cases

Why this matters

Rapido's growing web of retail and grocery delivery tie-ups positions it as an attractive last-mile logistics partner or acquisition target for players seeking omni-channel fulfillment reach across 90 cities.

What to watch

  • Rapido announcement of a standalone delivery/logistics business line
  • Conversion of Grofers/Dunzo/FreshtoHome talks into signed deals
  • Shift from zero-commission to paid pricing model
  • Lockdown relaxation and mobility demand recovery timing
  • Swiggy/Zomato/Dunzo aggressive grocery last-mile expansion
  • Retail chains announcing owned vs. outsourced fleet strategy
  • Convert commission-free tie-ups into paid B2B logistics SLAs before lockdown eases
  • Formalize Grofers, Dunzo, FreshtoHome deals to lock multi-tenant delivery volume
  • Launch dedicated delivery vertical/brand separate from ride-hailing
  • Retail chains diversify across 2-3 delivery partners to avoid single-point dependency
  • Negotiate driver incentive structures to retain fleet as passenger demand returns