Food delivery is a segment with innumerable market opportunities and is considered as a profitable segment to invest at the moment. Zomato, an online restaurant directory and food ordering company, has decided to spruce up its delivery process by seizing the opportunity of the growing food delivery segment. It has made strategic investments in Gurgaon-based Pickingo, and Mumbai-based Grab. Grab, a food logistics firm, was founded by Jignesh Patel, Nishant Vora and Pratish Sanghvi in 2012. Oliphans Capital has invested $1 million in the company along with an independent investor Haresh Chawla. Pickingo is a B-2-B on-demand hyperlocal startup.Itraised$1.3millionfromOriosVenturepartnersheadedbyRehanYarKhan. Both these companies are providers of hyper local delivery service. Zomato’s investment will enable restaurants to provide last-mile delivery including dine-in-only restaurant that don’t otherwise deliver. Apart from these companies, Zomato has also partnered with digital commerce focused logistics venture, Delhivery. The partnership with Zomato has enabled Delhi very to enter the hyperlocal delivery segment. Deepinder Goyal, Founder and CEO of Zomato, says, “We have unequivocally the largest restaurant base in India and we will work closely with Pickingo, Grab, and Delhivery to improve the last-mile delivery experience for users placing orders online on Zomato. So far, restaurants have been delivering on their own, but with this partnership, we will also be able to target restaurants across the country that doesn’t otherwise deliver. We are also launching our online ordering service in Dubai, Australia, and South Africa. Along similar lines, we are also in conversation with hyper local logistics firms in other countries to ensure that we are able to provide a seamless and quality experience to our users there.” Rahul Gill, Co-founder and CEO of Pickingo, says “This investment will not just infuse funds into the company but will also allow us to scale rapidly with Zomato’s online ordering business, while also leveraging Zomato’s strong relationship with restaurants across the country. We have already started working together to deliver from selected restaurants in New Delhi, and we look forward to taking this partnership further.” According to Pratish Sanghvi, Co-founder and Director of Grab, “last-mile logistics is a challenge for most merchants across India, especially restaurants, and the company views this investment as a great opportunity to solve this problem using technology along with Zomato. Zomato is making strides to move from being a search and discovery portal to a platform offering technology that helps merchants connect more effectively with customers with the launch of online ordering, cashless payments, soon to be launched table reservations, and a point of sale system.” Sahil Barua, Founder & CEO of Delhi very, says “The food-tech space in India is heating up, and we’re excited about this partnership with Zomato. Delivery logistics for restaurants have always been a challenge, and we believe the technology-first approach will help simplify operations for them, as well as enrich customer experiences.” Over the past years, Zomato has expanded its reach into global markets. It has acquired nine more companies with the aim of expanding its market in the restaurant search space. One such company is Urban spoon, which has helped Zomato to occupy a dominant position in overseas market in Australia, Canada and the United States.

Based on your reading answer the following questions:
(a) _______ is the founder and CEO of Zomato.
(b) What does Zomato aim to achieve by making the investments in delivery service?
(c) The partnership with Zomato has enabled _____to enter the hyperlocal delivery segment.
(d) How Pickingo has benefited from Zomato’s investment in it?
(e) According to Pratish Sanghvi______ is a challenge for most merchants across India. 

(f) Give the meanings of the words given below, as used in the passage.
a. unequivocal b. infuse