Pranav Rungta, Vice President of the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI), faced critical challenges in the food service sector following the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic reshaped the industry, with many restaurants relying on platform aggregators like Zomato and Swiggy to survive amid lockdowns. These platforms grew rapidly, becoming essential yet increasingly dominant partners, leading to concerns about fairness, transparency, and competition. Against this backdrop, the NRAI emerged as a crucial advocate for the rights and interests of restaurant owners, navigating the complex terrain of digital market regulations to ensure a level playing field. As Rungta prepared for a pivotal NRAI executive meeting, he grappled with whether to continue collaborating with these aggregators, pursue independent delivery solutions, or advocate for fair regulations to balance the power dynamics, knowing that the decision would significantly impact the future of India’s food service industry.