Kaivalya Vohra, co-founder of Zepto, said the company has designed its search feature to better reflect how users in India naturally phrase queries.
In a post on LinkedIn, Vohra said many users do not use formal product terms while searching. Instead of typing “laundry basket,” users often search using everyday language such as “kapde rakhne ki bag.”
He said that earlier, such searches would either return no results or show unrelated items on most apps. According to him, this gap led Zepto’s team to rethink how search should function.
Vohra stated that the company has built a system designed to understand regional language inputs, spelling variations, and user intent. He added that this system is powered by custom large language models tailored to how users think and type.
He said the effort reflects a broader approach of designing for Indian users based on their behaviour rather than relying on direct translations.
One user said, “Site search in ecommerce is almost entirely a synonym and intent problem. Catalog taxonomy gets built around English SKU names and standard category trees, which is exactly not how Bharat searches.” The user added that high-intent queries often return zero results not because products are unavailable, but because catalogues are structured for a different type of user.
Another user said, “Intent-based search is the need of the hour. Users don’t think in keywords, they think in intent.” The comment added that relying only on keyword mapping in large inventories can lead to missed discovery opportunities and lost conversions.
Zepto was founded in 2021 by Vohra and Aadit Palicha, and operates in the quick commerce segment, offering rapid delivery of groceries and daily essentials.
The company this year has included new in-app features such as a pay later option, along with continued investments in supply chain automation and operations. The company has also been preparing for a public market debut as competition intensifies in the quick commerce space.
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