In a twist that no one saw coming, Zomato is swapping out its corporate name for Eternal. But don’t worry- your biryani will still arrive from Zomato and not from some ‘perfume-sounding brand’ as some users on Twitter have called it. This isn’t just a whimsical name change, but as the CEO of Zomato, Deepinder Goyal, puts it, it is the company’s way of telling the world it has bigger plans beyond just food.
Zomato’s 2022 acquisition of Blinkit, a quick-commerce platform that flings everything from avocados to hair dryers at your doorstep, hinted at its growing ambitions. Blinkit has been reaching wonders, and CEO Deepinder Goyal decided it was time for the parent company’s name to reflect that expansion.
“When we acquired Blinkit, we started calling ourselves ‘Eternal’ internally to distinguish between the company and the app. Now that Blinkit has become a key growth engine, it’s time to make this official,” Goyal said in a letter to the shareholders.”
While Zomato will still be the name you tap on when hunger hits, the corporate entity will now be known as Eternal Ltd. The company will oversee four businesses under this new banner:
Zomato– Your beloved food delivery service.
Blinkit– The quick-commerce platform.
District– A live events and B2B logistics division.
Hyperpure– A restaurant supply chain catering to eateries nationwide.
Additionally, Zomato’s stock ticker will change from ZOMATO to ETERNAL, and its corporate website will shift from zomato.com to eternal.com once all regulatory approvals are cleared.
This name change isn’t just corporate housekeeping- it reflects the explosive growth of quick commerce. Blinkit, going head-to-head with Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, and Tata’s BigBasket, has become a revenue churnhouse. Recent data shows Blinkit raked in a 21% jump in revenue last quarter, with a gross order value soaring to Rs 7,798 crore.
Quick commerce is no longer just about snagging a last-minute packet of Maggi. Customers are now ordering gadgets, cosmetics, and even festive decor, making it a goldmine for companies willing to keep up with people’s need for speed. With Amazon, JioMart, and Flipkart also jumping into the instant delivery race, this space is only getting more competitive.
On the fun side, the internet, as always, had thoughts. One user joked, “Zomato was iconic. Eternal sounds like a spiritual retreat.” Another quipped, “I’ll believe in Eternal when my samosa stops arriving cold.” Drawing similarities from Facebook morphing into Meta and Google birthing Alphabet wasn’t far behind, with some questioning if this was a bit of an identity crisis. But for many, practicality won out over nostalgia, “As long as I get my discounts, they can call it whatever they want.”
This name change marks a new era for the company as it broadens its reach into logistics, B2B supplies, and live events. “We shape our institutions, and then they shape us,” Deepinder Goyal said, emphasising that Eternal is more than just a name change; it represents a mission statement.
While some are sceptical about the need for a name swap, others see it as Zomato’s way of future-proofing itself and staking a claim in multiple industries. Will this move be remembered as a masterstroke or a branding misadventure? Time will tell. But one thing’s for sure- whether it’s called Zomato or Eternal, as long as the food arrives hot and fast, nobody’s complaining.