Bitter taste: Top Jaipur halwais boycott Zomato over unviable commissions

Over 60 of Jaipur’s most famous sweet shops and halwai outlets have pulled their listings from Zomato, launching an indefinite boycott against the food-delivery platform over alleged “unethical practices” and “financially unviable” commission structures.

The collective action was announced by the Shri Halwai Samiti, an umbrella body of prominent Jaipur sweet vendors established in 1942, following nearly a month of unsuccessful negotiations.

Ajay Agarwal, proprietor of Laxmi Misthan Bhandar (LMB), stated that Zomato originally entered the market in 2015–16 as a “logistic partner” with zero commission. “Now it is up to a minimum of 10–12 per cent to 25 per cent,” Agarwal said, noting that “Beyond this, there is pressure for discounts and advertising on their platforms, and there are unjustified deductions.”

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Samiti president Rajendra Rawat echoed these concerns, pointing out that commission rates have climbed to as high as 22% for sweet vendors since 2016. “In the sweet business, there is intense competition on pricing. Such a commission is economically unviable for shopkeepers,” Rawat said.

Beyond commission hikes, shop owners highlighted a distinct “lack of transparency” regarding platform schemes and unilateral discount offers. “The stores have to honour these discounts,” Agarwal said, criticizing forced promotional costs and deductions passed on to vendors.

Despite repeated written communications over the past month and an assurance of a meeting in early August, the Samiti reported receiving no formal response from Zomato.

The local standoff has since drawn national attention. The Federation of Sweets and Namkeen Manufacturers (FSNM) sent a formal letter to Zomato seeking a meeting over broader commercial and operational concerns across the mithai, namkeen, bakery, and allied sectors.

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FSNM Director General Firoz Naqvi noted that recent vendor pushback in Bengaluru alongside the collective action in Jaipur signals that these issues are “no longer restricted to an individual business or a particular city.”

The Shri Halwai Samiti — comprising iconic brands such as LMB, RMB, Bombay Misthan Bhandar, Doodh Misthan Bhandar, Kanha, Sodhani Sweets, Bhagat Mishthan Bhandar, Agarwal Caterers, Kanji, and Kesar Sweets — confirmed the boycott will remain in place until Zomato addresses their demand for a rationalized, uniform commission structure. Until the dispute is resolved, customers will find many of Jaipur's legacy sweet brands unavailable on the platform.