IHCL to launch food delivery app 'Qmin' in Indian metro cities next month

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), which owns the Taj Group of hotels, has announced it will launch a food delivery app 'Qmin' that'll deliver dishes prepared at its hotels to the customer's doorstep. The Qmin mobile application will be launched on July 25, followed by the gourmet Qmin Shop in August and the loyalty platform in September.

According to the company, guests can order from eight iconic and celebrated restaurants in Mumbai like Golden Dragon and Souk from Taj Mahal Palace; Thai Pavilion and Trattoria from President; and Ming Yang from Taj Lands’ End, to name a few. The launch will cover the top ten markets in India including Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, etc. over a period of five weeks.

The three-months-long nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic has forced hotels and other eateries to remain shut, however, food delivery platforms have managed to keep the hospitality sector moving as people forced to stay home turn online for relishing outdoor food items. 

READ | Swiggy starts delivering luxurious meals from top hotel chains like Hyatt, Marriott

Leveraging digital platform

Talking about the announcement, Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO of IHCL, said the service will augment the group’s F&B (food and beverage) offerings leveraging a digital platform to address a growing consumer demand for online gourmet food delivery services.

“Qmin will scale up in the months ahead to include the gourmet Qmin Shop with delicatessen-based food choices. Taj has been home to our guests for more than a century. With the launch of Qmin, we bring Taj to their homes,” Chhatwal was quoted as saying in the company statement.

READ | Amid LAC Standoff, Delhi Hotel Body Decides Not To Give Accommodation To Chinese Nationals

IHCL said Qmin's delivery service will have an enhanced focus on maintaining stringent protocols of safety and hygiene. This includes contact-less delivery and the mandatory use of protective gear for delivery executives in extremely sanitized vehicles. The packaging will be eco-friendly utilizing biodegradable materials, and with customized insulation boxes to preserve the food whilst being delivered, said the company.

READ | IHCL Gears Up For A Post-lockdown Future; Lists Hygiene & Safety Measures

Taj Group prepares to reopen

With expectations of further easing of the nationwide lockdown, the hotel industry – one of the hardest-hit sectors of the economy due to the pandemic – is preparing for the post-lockdown future. Last month, the Taj Group of hotels said it has begun implementing heightened hygiene and safety procedures for all guests, employees, partners, and vendors.

IHCL had said that among various measures, thermal screening of all employees and guests, intensive hospital-level sanitisation of its hotels as well as new contactless processes and social distancing measures will be followed. 

READ | Restaurants, hotels ask state govts to allow them to sell liquor stock