Bombay Shaving CEO Raises Alarm on Quick Food Delivery Trend - Read Now

The rising popularity of quick food delivery services in India has sparked concerns over the nation’s health. Shantanu Deshpande, Founder and CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, has criticized the growing reliance on processed and ultra-processed foods, warning of a potential health epidemic in the making.

Growing Addiction to Quick Food Delivery

In a LinkedIn post, Deshpande expressed his shock at how rapidly food is being cooked and delivered. “Cook time 2 minutes, delivery time 8 minutes. A ‘qcom for food’ founder told me this, and I lost my mind,” he shared. His comments reflect broader concerns about the negative health impacts of quick food delivery trends in India.

Deshpande highlighted the rising addiction to junk food and criticized low-cost items like ₹49 pizzas, ₹20 energy drinks, and ₹30 burgers for their role in fueling unhealthy eating habits.

Health Risks of Processed Foods

He emphasized that India is already suffering from poor nutrition due to overconsumption of processed and ultra-processed foods that are high in palm oil and sugar. “We are suffering from the biggest epidemic of poor nutrition and unhealthy processed food,” Deshpande noted. He also pointed out the declining nutritional value of grains over the last 50 years, which he attributed to prioritizing agricultural yield over nutrition.

Comparison with Global Trends

Deshpande warned that India risks heading down the same path as China and the US, where junk food consumption has become deeply entrenched. However, he cautioned that India lacks the economic resources to mitigate the health consequences.

“Our junk food addiction is taking us down the path of China and the US without the economic cover needed for health,” he said, urging quick commerce firms to reconsider their approach.

Call to Action for Quick Commerce Firms

Deshpande specifically called out Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto, urging them to prioritize making food nutritious and palatable. He warned against turning quick food delivery into another profit-driven trend without considering its long-term impact on public health.

“And all the investors and founders are already finding fancy words for this to bake it into the next big wave of Indian commerce. Zomato and Swiggy and Zepto – please, don’t,” Deshpande pleaded.

Addressing the Epidemic

India’s growing reliance on quick food delivery raises critical questions about the balance between convenience and health. Deshpande’s warning serves as a wake-up call to both consumers and businesses to rethink the way food is prepared, delivered, and consumed.

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