Zomato and District: strategic expansion into India’s event ticketing ecosystem

Learning outcomes After completion of the case study, the students will be able to: Case overview/synopsis This case examines a strategic dilemma faced by Deepinder Goyal, chief executive officer of Zomato, following the company’s 2024 acquisition of Paytm Insider and the launch of its event-ticketing platform, District. As Zomato expanded beyond food delivery into the live entertainment ecosystem, Goyal had to decide whether District should be aggressively scaled to directly challenge the incumbent BookMyShow, selectively grown as a complementary extension of Zomato’s ecosystem or limited to avoid strategic overextension. The case situates this decision within the broader context of platform-based competition, and acquisition-led diversification. Students are required to evaluate industry attractiveness, assess Zomato’s resource capabilities and analyze the trade-offs between growth, profitability and operational complexity. The case highlights the strategic challenges of entering a market dominated by a strong incumbent while managing risks related to financial sustainability, customer trust and organizational focus. Students are invited to analyze the competitive dynamics of the Indian ticketing industry, assess Zomato’s firm-specific resources and ecosystem advantages and evaluate the trade-offs between growth ambitions and long-term sustainability. The case encourages application of strategic frameworks to understand how platform-based firms navigate expansion into adjacent markets characterized by strong incumbents and trust-related challenges. Complexity academic level This case is most suitable for Master of Business Administration students or executive education participants enrolled in courses on strategic management, corporate strategy or marketing strategy. The case challenges students to think critically about how a technology-driven company like Zomato navigates diversification, digital ecosystem building and competitive positioning in a fast-evolving consumer market. It is most appropriate for participants with prior exposure to strategic analysis frameworks such as Porter’s five forces and the resource-based view. Subject code CSS11: Strategy.