'Cook time 2 min': Bombay Shaving Company CEO flags concerns over India’s rapid delivery culture

Shantanu Deshpande, the founder and CEO of men's grooming product maker Bombay Shaving Company, expressed concern over the rising popularity of fast food delivery in India and described it as a potential health crisis.

"We are suffering from the biggest epidemic of poor nutrition and unhealthy processed and ultra processed food which is high on palm oil and sugar. Our grains have lost nutrition over last 50 years as we prioritised agricultural yield for nutrition," Shantanu Deshpande said in a LinkedIn post on Sunday.

“Over the past 50 years, we have prioritised agricultural productivity over nutrition, which has resulted in a loss of nutritional value in our grains. He attacked the addiction to junk food and the dependence on highly processed and processed meals,” he added.

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"Frozen purees and curries and old vegetables heated and garnished with dhaniya to look fresh and slammed in some 2 wheeler who rides like Mad Max to your door in 10 min cos you couldn't wait another 15 min or you were too lazy to chadhao a cooker of daal chawal,” said the startup founder and CEO.

Expressing shock by the length of time it takes to prepare and transport the meal order after speaking with the creator of a rapid commerce food company. Deshpande said, “Cook time 2 min, delivery time 8 min. A ‘qcom for food’ founder told me this and I lost my mind.”

In addition, he discussed how this strategy is making India into another China and the US without sufficient economic support. “Our junk food addiction, fuelled by 49 rupees pizzas and 20 rupees poison energy drinks and 30 rupees burgers, is taking us down the path of China and US without the economic cover needed for health,” he stated.

Shantanu Deshpande, in his LinkedIn post, called on rapid commerce companies like Swiggy, Zepto, and Zomato to ensure that the food is palatable.

"And all the investors and founders already finding fancy words for this to bake it into the next big wave of Indian commerce. Zomato and Swiggy and Zepto – please, dont. And if you are so keen, please make the product palatable,” he said.

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In the message, the founder and CEO also urged the public and authorities to monitor this problem. Additionally, he suggested that instead of ordering the 10-minute meal delivery, individuals should cook.

“I would LOVE if we innovate and are able to actually give non-stale and decent food in 10 min. Massive unlock. But I don't think we're close to there yet. Regulators - please keep eye,” he said. “Most of all, everyone else - please cook. It's an adult skill. No one is too busy to take 10 min out to put a decent dal Chawal or smoothie or salad or sandwich together,” he added