Eternal Taste: Zomato’s 10-Minute Bet on India’s Regional Snack Craze

A surge in demand for regional Indian snacks like murukku, misal, sev, soda, and chaat is reshaping the quick-service food segment, with listed entities like Zomato (via its “Eternal” quick-commerce vertical) tapping into this boom. Once limited to homes or local vendors, these traditional snacks are now reaching consumers within 10 minutes, thanks to aggressive expansion by cloud kitchens and digital platforms. Eternal, Zomato’s in-house brand, has identified regional flavors as a high-growth category and is actively onboarding sellers and launching its own offerings to meet demand. The growing popularity of vernacular tastes is driven by consumer nostalgia, affordability, and increasing digital accessibility. Regional snack carts and kitchens are popping up in metros and Tier-2 cities alike, supported by data-driven decisions and customer feedback. With higher margins and faster turnaround compared to full meals, such offerings are strategic for platforms like Zomato looking to deepen user engagement and expand average order values. This shift is not just consumer-driven but also investor-focused. Publicly listed entities like Zomato see regional snacking as a path to profitability through higher throughput and low overhead models. Eternal’s early traction suggests this could be a long-term value unlock, blending traditional Indian flavors with the modern speed and scalability of tech-driven delivery. Ask ChatGPT