Zomato: Visionary leap or just a name game?

The food and grocery delivery company's rebranding to Eternal follows a path well-trodden by global tech giants like Meta, Alphabet and X

- Gaurav Laghate

A name can mean everythingor nothing. When Zomato decided to rename its corporate entity to Eternal Ltd last A week, the industry sat up and took notice. Was this a strategic move, a branding masterstroke or simply an attempt to manifest a sense of permanence in an unpredictable sector? For consumers, nothing changes-the Zomato app remains Zomato. However, chief executive officer (CEO) Deepinder Goyal sees this as a pivotal moment for the company. "We started using 'Eternal' internally when we acquired Blinkit, and we decided we would rename the company when something beyond Zomato became a significant driver of our future," he wrote in a letter to shareholders. With Blinkit's expansion and new verticals emerging that moment seems to have arrived.

However, some industry experts believe this rebranding is more about optics than substance. A brand expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, remarked that Eternal reflects a desire for permanence in a highly volatile industry. "Seems they are manifesting an eternal business," he said.

"But on a serious note, the food and grocery delivery business in India thrives on cheap labour and low operational costs.

The moment labour markets tighten-say, due to a manufacturing boom in regions like UP (Uttar Pradesh) and Bihar-this model will face existential challenges.

Indian consumers are highly price-sensitive and unwilling to pay steep delivery fees, making sustainability a real concern.

The question is: will Eternal live up to its name when these economic shifts occur?" Rationale for the name change Sandeep Goyal, chairman of ad agency Rediffusion, views this shift as part of a broader trend in corporate restructuring.