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AI Not Threatening Habits, Eternal CEO Says as Profits Soar
Eternal, the parent entity of food delivery giant Zomato and quick commerce platform Blinkit, has posted robust financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026. Consolidated net profit soared by an impressive 346% year-on-year to ₹174 crore, bolstered by a 196.5% revenue jump to ₹17,292 crore. This performance outpaced market expectations, leading to a slight stock increase on the earnings announcement day. With this financial growth, CEO Deepinder Goyal directly challenged the current narrative that artificial intelligence could displace its core food delivery and quick commerce operations. He characterized concerns about AI chat interfaces becoming the 'new front door for commerce' as overblown, asserting such technologies are "nowhere close" to affecting Eternal's established business model.
Habits and Logistics Create Unbeatable Moats, CEO Argues
Goyal's argument centers on the sticky nature of consumer behavior for habitual, high-frequency transactions. Drawing a parallel to Google's past inability to dislodge specialized vertical platforms like Booking.com or Amazon despite its vast reach, he explained that broad AI interfaces are ill-suited for complex tasks like browsing menus, comparing options, or tracking deliveries in real-time. He emphasized that ingrained brand recall – the immediate association of 'Zomato' with hunger or 'Blinkit' with urgent grocery needs – creates a powerful 'mental real estate' that new interfaces cannot easily penetrate. Furthermore, Goyal highlighted the critical role of physical logistics, stating that AI cannot "move food through traffic, stock shelves in dark stores, or manage large events," underscoring the significant operational moat provided by real-world infrastructure. This strategic focus on distinct brands rather than a singular super-app reinforces this approach of capturing specific consumer needs.
How Rivals Use AI Differently
While dismissing AI as a direct existential threat, Eternal uses AI extensively internally. AI is employed for demand prediction, route optimization, supply chain management, and fraud detection, trained on billions of real-world interactions. Goyal framed AI primarily as a growth enabler, improving customer discovery, partner onboarding, and providing business insights.
In contrast, competitors are integrating AI more overtly into customer-facing experiences. Swiggy is developing conversational AI for food and grocery discovery, using generative AI for chatbots, personalized recommendations, and even customized food imagery, and has launched a 'Builders Club' to foster AI-native commerce experiences on its platform. Uber Eats employs AI for personalized recommendations, route optimization, and launched 'Cart Assistant' for streamlined grocery shopping, alongside AI for analyzing delivery issues. DoorDash is scaling AI for employee productivity, customer service, and uses its courier network to generate AI training data, while also focusing on AI for menu analysis and inventory prediction. These varied approaches highlight a broader industry trend towards AI integration, albeit with different strategic priorities.
Strong Growth: Transactions to Double, EBITDA Target Set
Eternal's financial performance in FY26 shows strong momentum. The company processed over $10 billion in annual transactions in FY26 and anticipates doubling this figure to $20 billion within the next two years. The ambitious target of achieving $1 billion in adjusted EBITDA by FY29 signals strong confidence in its business model and expansion strategy. The acquisition of Blinkit has been a key driver, with quick commerce NOV surging 95.4% year-on-year in Q4 FY26, adding 216 net new stores during the quarter. The going-out segment, District, also showed growth with 46.5% NOV increase, while narrowing losses.
Risks: High Valuation, Fierce Competition in Quick Commerce
Despite the positive earnings and ambitious outlook, concerns remain about Eternal's valuation and the profitability of its quick commerce segment. The company's Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio varies widely across reports, with figures ranging from 97.6x to over 1,000x, suggesting investors expect very high growth. While food delivery shows steady improvement, the quick commerce sector faces intense competition and profitability challenges. Swiggy, for instance, saw its operating loss double in the first half of FY26 due to increased quick commerce spending, despite revenue growth. Blinkit leads the quick commerce market share at around 46%, followed by Zepto, indicating a highly competitive environment where aggressive pricing and discounts pressure margins for all players. The India food delivery sector, projected to reach $269.77 billion by 2034, is not immune to unit economics scrutiny, with questions arising about how revenue growth translates into sustainable profits.
Analysts Cautious but Optimistic Amid Growth Drive
Market sentiment appears cautiously optimistic, with some reports indicating a majority of 'Buy' recommendations from analysts, who are closely watching Eternal's margin expansion targets. The company's strategy of leveraging AI for operational efficiencies and growth, combined with its established consumer habits and logistics infrastructure, positions it to navigate the changing digital commerce landscape. However, sustained execution on profitability, particularly within the quick commerce segment, will be critical to justify its high valuation and meet its ambitious growth targets amidst fierce competition. The food delivery sector itself is expected to grow significantly, fueled by increasing urbanization and digital penetration.