Online food ordering and delivery platform, Swiggy, on Tuesday signed an MoU with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) whereby it will deliver pre-ordered food on trains.

The service will start with four stations – Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada – from March 12 and will be expanded to 59 additional city stations in the coming weeks.

One of the challenges encountered by travellers during extended journeys is lower availability of options. Through this integration, passengers aboard designated trains can place orders with food being delivered to their seats.

The MoU was exchanged between Sanjay Kumar Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, IRCTC and Rohit Kapoor, CEO, Swiggy Food Marketplace, in the presence of senior officials from both organisations.

Strategic partnership

According to Jain, IRCTC continues to explore “new ways to make train journeys comfortable and convenient. “This partnership with Swiggy will bring more convenience and food options to our passengers,” he said.

Swiggy’s CEO, Food Maketplace, Rohit Kapoor, said both organisations have a pan-India presence.

“We are hopeful of a buoyant response from passengers and restaurant operators on this route, which will hopefully lead to us providing services on more stations and on newer routes,” he said.

The food delivered to passengers will be packed in insulated Swiggy bags; and, Swiggy’s support agents will be trained in resolution process, gratification and cancellation policies. The support agents will also be equipped to connect with restaurants and delivery partners based on the order status and the nature of the customer issue.

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