Zomato international expansion: market assessment, localization and launch sequencing

As a product manager at Zomato, how would you launch it in a country where it does not operate today? Explain how you would assess the market, what you would adapt in the product and operations for local conditions, how you would sequence the launch, and how you would judge whether it is working. ```hint Think marketplace, not app Food delivery needs restaurants, couriers and customers in the same neighborhoods at the same time. Consider which side must be in place first in a launch city, and which local conditions decide whether a single order can make money. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Has the country already been chosen, or is choosing it part of the task? - Does the launch cover food delivery only, or also dining out and Zomato's other services? - Is the early goal fast market share or a path to profitable orders, and what budget and timeline apply? - Are there established food delivery companies in the target market already? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Market assessment criteria specific to food delivery: ordering habits, restaurant density, courier cost relative to order value, digital payments, competition and regulation - Local adaptation of the product and operations: language, payments, addresses, delivery model and compliance - A launch sequence from one city and a few dense zones, with restaurants and couriers in place before demand is bought - Per-order economics and explicit criteria for expanding, changing course or exiting - Launch metrics for customers, restaurants and couriers, with guardrails ### Follow-up Questions - Six months in, orders are growing quickly but every order still loses money. What do you change? - A well-funded local rival matches every discount you offer. How do you respond? - What evidence would make you recommend leaving the country?