Kiko Live launches food-only buyer app on ONDC; CEO says, 'We aim to bring affordability to food lovers'

Digital platform for local shops Kiko Live has launched Tabe food-only buyer app on the Indian government-backed ONDC.

The startup claims that Tabe is India’s first and only buyer-side app on ONDC dedicated to food and beverage ordering, unlike existing buyer apps that span across multiple retail categories. Tabe, which means “eat food” in Japanese, is designed to replicate the usability and convenience of mainstream food delivery apps. It leverages ONDC’s underlying infrastructure to make food more affordable, transparent, and accessible, as per the company's statatement.

“With Tabe, our goal was simple — bring the affordability and transparency promised by ONDC directly to food lovers, without compromising on the experience they’ve come to expect. By focusing exclusively on food, we’ve simplified discovery, and created a value-first platform that helps both customers and restaurants win,” Said Alok Chawla, Co-Founder Kiko.live.

Launched in 2020, Kiko Live aims to provide SaaS solutions to help small retailers build, manage, and grow their home delivery businesses. The platform allows small shops to go online and reach a broader customer base without the need for significant investment in technology or infrastructure.

Tabe, as Kiko Live said, eliminates category clutter by focusing 100% on food and beverage. It offers a focused experience more aligned with how users expect to order meals online. Tabe offers upto 30% lower pricing than traditional platforms.

Due to ONDC’s low platform commissions (as low as 3-8% vs. as high as 45% elsewhere), restaurants can pass cost savings directly to customers. The startup claims that it has onboarded iver 75,000 restaurants on Tabe, with over 15,000 listings from Bengaluru, 10,000 in Delhi NCR, 5000 in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune each.

McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Wow! Momo, FreshMenu, EatFit, CakeZone, Baskin Robbins, Goila Butter Chicken, LeanCrust Pizza, Biryani By Kilo, are among the listed brands on Tabe.

Since its launch last week, Tabe is already processing upwards of 100 daily orders, with a repeat rate as high as 20%.