Pitching for ordering direct from restaurants, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) on Thursday proposed an alternative delivery model '#Orderdirect' for the restaurants, stating that it will enable them to sell more, sell directly and efficiently, thereby reducing dependence on tech aggregators.

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In a statement, the association said it firmly believes that people consume the products created by the restaurants and technology platforms are just a more convenient means to place the order.

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"Unfortunately, the contours of the relationship between the consumer, the business and the platform have changed drastically over the last few years.

"With massive dollar-dumpling, the tech aggregators have tried becoming digital landlords that control the entire ecosystem rather than just being a platform where buyers and sellers transact on their own terms," NRAI said.

The association strongly feels that it is imperative that businesses take larger control of their digital landscapes to protect their long-term interest, it added.

"We are committed to taking better control of our business and our customer data and become digitally more self-reliant as an industry.

"While NRAI has spearheaded this initiative, I firmly believe that this solution will benefit the entire F&B (food and beverage) fraternity at large, benefitting lakhs of small restaurants across the country," NRAI President Anurag Katriar said.

This humble beginning will give the restaurants an alternative to the current digital landlords, he added.

"While we will continue to engage with the aggregators to achieve better terms of engagement, NRAI will continue to unveil more industry-friendly tech solutions in the coming days which will hopefully change the contours of this trade and benefit lakhs of business owners rather than a handful of digital giants," Katriar said.

In a similar vein, Food Matters Partner Gauri Devidayal said, "We recognise the positive aspects of what the aggregators are offering us at present and to our customers too, but this relationship is no longer a partnership but rather is one built on dependency."

And, that's what the company is working to change, she added.

"So, if you're a restaurant, don't even think twice about setting up your own alternative platform. And, if you are a customer, and it is not too much trouble, next time #orderdirect," she added.