Uber, the US-based ride-hailing behemoth, has embarked on a new venture in India, delving into the burgeoning quick-delivery market by launching hyperlocal deliveries from nearby grocery and departmental stores.

This move marks Uber’s entry into a domain currently dominated by venture capital-funded startups such as Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and Blinkit, which is owned by Zomato.

According to a report by Economic Times, Uber has introduced the service in nine major Indian cities, including Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Ludhiana, employing two-wheelers for swift conveyance.

Initially, Uber will facilitate deliveries while customers directly settle payments with the stores. However, the company envisions a future where it will assume the responsibility of collecting payments on behalf of the store owners.

Although Uber has not issued an official statement regarding the service launch, eagle-eyed users have noted the addition of a “store pickup” option within the app’s array of services.

It’s noteworthy that Uber has been providing package pick-up and drop services via two-wheelers across various Indian cities.

Despite this strategic expansion, Uber’s financial report for the first quarter came as a surprise, revealing a net loss of $654 million, primarily attributed to legal settlements. Analysts, in contrast, had anticipated a profit of $474 million, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.