Eternal (Zomato) Projects 20% Growth in Food Delivery Business

Consumer tech startup Eternal (formerly known as Zomato) remains confident about the long-term growth of its food delivery business, even as the economy shows signs of slowing down. In its Annual Report, Eternal said it expects to continue growing its Net Order Value (NOV) by more than 20% per year. NOV refers to the total value of items sold on the platform, excluding discounts. 

What is Behind Eternal (Zomato’s) Confidence in the Food Delivery Business?

Eternal says the food delivery segment is supported by strong fundamentals. These include low penetration of restaurant food in India, rising urbanisation, and increasing per capita income. These factors, according to the company, will help maintain a steady rise in food delivery orders in the coming years.

How Did the Headcount of Eternal (Zomato) Rise?

In FY25, Eternal made a major move in its quick commerce business by pushing for faster deliveries of household items. The company doubled its employee count to 16,868 as it expanded teams in this segment.

It also added staff through the acquisition of Paytm’s event ticketing business. As a result, its employee benefit expenses rose by 54% to ₹2,558 crore, mainly due to higher salaries and wages.

Why Did Advertising and Refund Costs Increase for Eternal (Zomato) in FY25?

With a focus on customer growth, Eternal increased its advertising and promotion expenses by 38% in FY25. Most of the spending went into digital marketing for its quick commerce business and promoting its ‘District’ app.

At the same time, the company saw a rise in refund costs, mostly due to higher order volumes in both food delivery and quick commerce.

What Was the Median Salary of Employees at Eternal (Zomato)?

Even though total staff increased, the median salary paid to employees fell by 27.26% on a standalone basis and 31.75% on a consolidated basis. This shows that Eternal hired more lower-salaried employees, especially for customer support and dark store operations.

Read more: Why Did Zomato Rebrand Itself as Eternal?

Conclusion

Eternal continues to invest in growth areas like food delivery and quick commerce, despite a weak economy. With strong demand and urban expansion, the company believes it will maintain its upward trend. For investors keeping an eye on the tech and startup space, Eternal’s performance offers some optimism about the future of online services in India.

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