Google users in India can now order groceries for delivery from startup Dunzo, allowing the tech giant to effectively enter into the Indian delivery market, according to a BGR report.
The service can be used through Google Pay without having to download another app.
The partnership will work for both companies, allowing Google to use Dunzo’s on-the-ground services, while Dunzo will reap the benefits of Google’s Pay app, which has over 67 million users in India.
Those who want to use the feature can go to Google Pay and click on the explore button. There, they can click the Spots section and select Dunzo for delivery.
Right now, the service is only available in select parts of the country, and users can check the website to see which regions are included.
The partnership could mean Google is delving more into the delivery market, which has been booming since the coronavirus pandemic forced people around the globe to retreat to their houses due to the danger of spreading the virus. That has sparked a new need for home delivery services of food and other necessities. In moving into the Indian market, Google will be competing against other large forces like Amazon and Zomato.
But Google’s interest in India isn’t limited only to Dunzo as the tech giant is also looking at a possible investment in Vodafone Idea, the collaboration between the U.K.-based telecom company and India-based Aditya Birla Group. Google is looking at buying 5 percent of the company, which would pit it against social media giant Facebook, which entered the telecom market in India by backing dominant local company Jio.
That idea is under some strain due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, as India has been on lockdown for months.
Google’s ambitions in India have attracted regulator attention, with the most recent case being allegations that it has used its market dominance to unfairly push its Pay app over other competitors.
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