Shipping & Delivery Policy

1. Overview

• This Shipping and Delivery Policy ("Policy") governs the delivery of food and beverage Orders placed on the raagas Platform operated by Carnatic Foods Private Limited ("Company", "we", "us", or "our").
• This Policy is published in compliance with the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 (Rule 4(1)(d) — mandatory disclosure of shipping and delivery information) and is incorporated into, and forms an integral part of, the Terms and Conditions (raagas.co.in/legal/terms). By placing an Order on the Platform, You acknowledge that You have read and understood this Policy and agree to be bound by its terms.
• Capitalised terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Terms and Conditions.

2. Delivery Service Coverage

• Delivery services are available within designated Delivery Areas as determined by the Company based on the proximity to a raagas outlet, operational capacity, road accessibility, and safety considerations. Delivery Areas may vary by outlet and are subject to change at any time without prior notice.
• You can verify whether Your address falls within a serviceable Delivery Area by entering Your delivery address on the Platform before placing an Order. The Platform will indicate whether delivery is available to Your address from the selected outlet.
• The Company is progressively expanding its operations across India. Delivery service may not be available in all cities, localities, areas, or PIN codes at any given time. The Company reserves the right to expand, restrict, modify, or discontinue Delivery Areas at its sole discretion based on operational and commercial considerations.
• Self-pickup (takeaway) is available at all participating raagas outlets during their respective operating hours, subject to item availability. Users who opt for self-pickup are responsible for collecting their Order within the timeframe communicated at the time of Order confirmation.

3. Operating Hours

• Delivery services are available during the operating hours of the respective raagas outlet from which the Order is being fulfilled. Operating hours may vary by outlet and by day of the week (weekdays, weekends, and public holidays).
• Outlet operating hours are displayed on the Platform on each outlet's page and at the time of Order placement. The Company reserves the right to modify operating hours at any time, including for special occasions, holidays, planned maintenance, staff training, or any operational reason, without prior notice.
• Orders placed close to the outlet's closing time may not be accepted if the Company determines that there is insufficient time to prepare and deliver the Order within the remaining operating window. The Company is under no obligation to accept Orders that cannot be reasonably fulfilled within operating hours.

4. Estimated Delivery Time

• The estimated delivery time displayed on the Platform at the time of Order placement is an approximate estimate only, calculated algorithmically based on the distance between the outlet and the delivery address, current Order preparation time, real-time Order volume at the outlet, available delivery fleet capacity, and prevailing traffic and weather conditions. THE ESTIMATED DELIVERY TIME IS NOT A GUARANTEED DELIVERY TIME AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A PROMISE, WARRANTY, OR REPRESENTATION BY THE COMPANY.
• Actual delivery times may vary — and may significantly exceed the estimated time — due to factors beyond the Company's reasonable control, including but not limited to: traffic congestion, road closures, diversions, or accidents; adverse weather conditions (heavy rain, storms, fog, extreme heat, flooding); high Order volume during peak hours, weekends, festivals, or promotional periods; delays in food preparation due to complex or large Orders; delivery personnel availability; and any other unforeseen circumstances.
• The Company shall make commercially reasonable efforts to deliver Orders within the estimated timeframe. However, the Company shall not be liable for any delay in delivery, and delayed delivery alone shall not entitle the User to cancel the Order, claim a refund, or seek compensation, except as specifically provided in the Refund and Cancellation Policy (raagas.co.in/legal/refund-policy).
• In the event of significant delays (exceeding sixty (60) minutes beyond the estimated delivery time), the Company may, at its sole and absolute discretion, offer compensation to the affected User. Such compensation — if any — may take the form of a partial refund, Platform credit, discount coupon for a future Order, or other goodwill gesture, and shall be determined on a case-by-case basis. Any such compensation shall not be construed as an admission of liability.

5. Delivery Charges

• Delivery charges are calculated based on the straight-line or road distance between the raagas outlet and the delivery address. Delivery charges may also be influenced by the Order Value, time of day, day of the week, and prevailing demand and supply conditions.
• Surge pricing or increased delivery charges may apply during: peak ordering hours (typically lunch and dinner periods), adverse weather conditions (rain, storms, extreme heat), festival days and public holidays, or periods of high demand and limited delivery fleet availability. All surge charges shall be clearly and prominently displayed to the User on the checkout page before Order confirmation.
• The Company may offer free delivery on Orders exceeding a minimum Order Value. The minimum Order Value threshold for free delivery may vary by outlet, time of day, day of the week, and promotional campaigns, and is subject to change without notice.
• All delivery charges, packaging charges, platform fees (if applicable), surge charges, and any other applicable fees or levies shall be clearly and separately itemised on the checkout page before Order confirmation. No hidden or undisclosed charges shall be imposed after Order confirmation.

6. Delivery Process

7. Own Fleet and Third-Party Logistics Partners

• The Company delivers Orders through a combination of its own dedicated delivery fleet and third-party logistics partners ("Delivery Partners") such as Dunzo, Porter, Shadowfax, and similar service providers.
• Regardless of who performs the physical delivery, the Company accepts responsibility for ensuring that food safety, quality, and temperature maintenance standards are upheld during transit. All delivery personnel — whether from the Company's fleet or from Delivery Partners — use tamper-evident packaging and insulated delivery bags provided or specified by the Company.
• Delivery Partners are engaged as independent contractors and are NOT employees, agents, representatives, or affiliates of Carnatic Foods Private Limited. The Company's responsibility extends to: (a) food safety and quality of the food product during transit; and (b) the overall delivery experience as it relates to the Order.
• The Company shall NOT be liable for: (a) the personal conduct, behaviour, speech, or actions of Delivery Partner personnel beyond the scope of food delivery; (b) traffic violations, accidents, or road incidents involving Delivery Partner personnel; (c) delays caused solely by Delivery Partner operational issues (fleet availability, route optimization, personnel shortages); (d) any acts, omissions, negligence, or misconduct of Delivery Partner personnel that are outside the Company's reasonable control and not related to the handling of the food product.
• Users who experience issues specifically attributable to a Delivery Partner should report them to care@raagas.co.in with the Order ID and details, and the Company shall coordinate with the relevant Delivery Partner to investigate and address the issue.

8. User Responsibilities

• The User must provide a complete, accurate, and accessible delivery address — including house/flat number, building name, floor number, street name, area, landmark (if applicable), city, state, and PIN code. The use of vague or incomplete addresses (e.g., "near the temple", "opposite the park") without specific door/flat numbers may result in delivery delays or delivery failure.
• The User must be physically available and accessible to receive the Order at the delivery address during the estimated delivery window (from the time of Order placement until thirty (30) minutes after the estimated delivery time). The User must ensure that the delivery personnel can access the delivery location (e.g., gate codes, building entry procedures, floor information, intercom details).
• The User must provide and maintain a valid, reachable phone number on which the delivery personnel can contact the User for directions, address clarification, access instructions, or arrival notification.
• The User must inspect the Order upon receipt and immediately report any issues with packaging integrity, signs of tampering, missing items, or incorrect items. By accepting the delivery without raising an immediate concern, the User acknowledges that the Order was received in satisfactory external condition at the time of delivery. This acknowledgment does not prejudice the User's right to raise quality or food safety concerns within the timelines specified in the Refund and Cancellation Policy (raagas.co.in/legal/refund-policy).

9. Failed Delivery Attempts

• If the delivery personnel is unable to deliver the Order due to the User being unavailable, unreachable (phone not answered, switched off, or busy), or due to an incorrect, incomplete, or inaccessible address, the delivery personnel shall make up to two (2) additional attempts to contact the User and complete the delivery within a reasonable waiting period (approximately fifteen (15) minutes from the first attempt).
• If the Order cannot be delivered after reasonable attempts, the Order shall be deemed undeliverable and the following shall apply:
• For prepaid Orders (card, UPI, net banking, wallet): No refund shall be issued, as the food has been freshly prepared, dispatched, and is perishable. The Company cannot resell, repurpose, or return the food to inventory.
• For Cash on Delivery (COD) Orders: The User may be charged the full Order Value, and/or the Company may restrict or permanently revoke the User's access to COD as a payment method for future Orders.
• The Company shall not be liable for non-delivery, delayed delivery, or failed delivery resulting from: (a) the User's failure to provide an accurate and complete delivery address; (b) the User's unavailability or unreachability at the delivery location; (c) restricted access to the delivery location (locked gates, security barriers, building entry restrictions); or (d) the User's failure to respond to calls, messages, or notifications from the delivery personnel.

10. Food Safety During Delivery

• All Orders are packed in tamper-evident, food-grade packaging materials by the raagas outlet prior to dispatch, to ensure the integrity, safety, and hygiene of food during transit.
• Delivery personnel use insulated delivery bags — with separate compartments for hot and cold items where necessary — to maintain appropriate food temperatures during transit.
• If, upon receipt, the packaging appears damaged, opened, punctured, or the tamper-evident seal is broken, the User should refuse the delivery and immediately report the issue through the Platform's in-app support feature or by contacting care@raagas.co.in with the Order ID and photographic evidence of the packaging condition.
• Food delivered by raagas is freshly prepared and intended for immediate consumption. The Company strongly recommends consuming delivered food within thirty (30) minutes of delivery for optimal taste, texture, temperature, and food safety. The Company shall not be liable for any deterioration in food quality, taste, safety, or condition arising from delayed consumption, improper storage, reheating, refreezing, or any handling of the food by the User after delivery.

11. Delivery Issues and Complaints

• For any delivery-related issues — including non-delivery, significant delays, damaged packaging, signs of tampering, missing items, incorrect items, or delivery personnel conduct — the User may raise a complaint through the Platform's in-app support feature or by writing to care@raagas.co.in with the Order ID and a detailed description of the issue.
• Refunds or compensation for delivery-related issues shall be governed by the Refund and Cancellation Policy available at raagas.co.in/legal/refund-policy. The Company shall review and respond to delivery complaints within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt.
• For persistent or unresolved delivery issues, the User may escalate the complaint to the Grievance Redressal Officer and Nodal Officer at care@raagas.co.in, who shall acknowledge within forty-eight (48) hours and endeavour to resolve within thirty (30) days.

12. Special Circumstances

• During peak hours (typically lunch and dinner periods), festival days, public holidays, weekend rush, adverse weather conditions, or public emergencies, delivery times may be significantly longer than the standard estimated time. The Company shall endeavour to communicate expected delays to the User through the Platform, push notifications, or SMS.
• The Company may temporarily suspend delivery services in certain areas or for certain outlets due to safety concerns, natural disasters, severe weather warnings, epidemics, curfews, bandhs, government restrictions, law enforcement advisories, or other Force Majeure Events. In such cases, affected Orders that cannot be fulfilled shall be cancelled and fully refunded.
• The Company reserves the right to impose temporary Order limits, restrict the number of concurrent Orders, or temporarily close ordering for specific outlets during periods of exceptionally high demand, to ensure service quality and food safety for existing Orders.

13. Contact Information

• For delivery queries: care@raagas.co.in
• Designation: Director, Grievance Redressal Officer, Nodal Officer, and Data Protection Officer
• Grievance Email: care@raagas.co.in
• Address: Carnatic Foods Private Limited, Plot No. 87, Sun Garden, Morattandi, Auroville, Vanur, Villupuram, Tamil Nadu 605101, India