BigBasket acquires milk delivery app DailyNinja for Rs 48 crore to strengthen business in Bengaluru

BigBasket has taken over Bengaluru-based milk delivery app DailyNinja. The online grocery delivery company will now have access to DailyNinja's network of 2,000 milkman partners across India.

Representational image. Reuters

The move is being seen as a step by the Alibaba-backed company to strengthen its business in the IT hub of Bengaluru.

In 2018, BigBasket acquired the Pune-based RainCan and Bengaluru-based Morningcart to consolidate its morning delivery service BBDaily. BigBasket’s BBDaily allows users to order milk and other delivery essentials the night before and have them delivered early next day.

As per a statement issued by BigBasket, the merger would help DailyNinja grow its business within a period of a month by using BigBasket's supply chain capabilities. DailyNinja customers will now be able to access BBDaily's non-milk range as well.

According to a report by MoneyControl, DailyNinja sees around 1.1 lakh customers transacting daily, while there are 1.6 lakh deliveries daily for BBDaily.

The BigBasket-DailyNinja merger comes amid a countrywide lockdown implemented by the central government to fight the coronavirus pandemic. E-grocers are struggling to meet demands after the 21-day lockdown period declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected over four lakh people around the world with over 18,000 deaths being registered due to the dreaded disease.