Shantanu Deshpande warns against potential health crisis fueled by speed over nutrition
Shantanu Deshpande, CEO and founder of Bombay Shaving Company, has voiced strong concerns over the growing trend of ultra-fast food delivery in India. In a viral LinkedIn post, he criticized popular food delivery platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto, warning that the focus on speed could lead to a major public health crisis.
Deshpande’s Concerns: Nutrition Over Speed
Shantanu Deshpande argued that India is heading toward a nutrition crisis similar to what countries like the US and China currently face. He emphasized that the obsession with delivering food within 10 minutes compromises its nutritional quality, as meals are often prepared using unhealthy, processed ingredients.
In his post, Deshpande wrote, “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.” He criticized the use of “frozen purees and reheated vegetables garnished to look fresh,” calling the practice unsustainable and damaging to public health.
The Bombay Shaving Company CEO added that Indian consumers are increasingly addicted to low-cost, unhealthy options like “49 rupee pizzas, 20 rupee energy drinks, and 30 rupee burgers,” fueling poor eating habits and long-term health risks.
The Role of Food Delivery Platforms
Deshpande urged food delivery giants such as Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto to rethink their priorities and innovate to deliver fresh and healthy meals rather than focusing solely on speed. While acknowledging that quick deliveries are impressive, he questioned their viability in ensuring food quality, saying, “I would LOVE if we innovate and are able to actually give non-stale and decent food in 10 min. But I don’t think we’re close to there yet.”
A Call to Action for Regulators and Consumers
Deshpande also appealed to regulators to monitor the ultra-fast food delivery sector to prevent it from spiraling into a larger health issue. He suggested that consumers, too, have a role to play by developing basic cooking skills to prepare healthier meals at home. He described cooking as an essential adult skill, stating, “No one is too busy to take 10 minutes to put together a decent dal-chawal, smoothie, salad, or sandwich.”
Highlighting the importance of gut health, Deshpande concluded, “The gut is the epicenter of your existence. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.”
The Bigger Picture
India’s quick-commerce sector has grown rapidly, with companies like Zomato, Swiggy, and Zepto competing to deliver meals and groceries in record time. However, Deshpande’s comments bring to light an emerging debate: Can ultra-fast deliveries ensure food quality and nutrition, or will they contribute to a growing public health challenge?
His warning serves as a wake-up call for both food-tech companies and consumers to prioritize long-term health over instant gratification.
This news report is curated with insights from multiple reliable news sources.
