Online food delivery start-up Swiggy is hiring over 12,000 delivery executives by the end of 2015.
The Bangalore-based start-up, which scooped up $16.5 million a few weeks ago through a second round of funding from Norwest Venture Partners and existing investors Accel Partners and SAIF Partners, is on an expansion spree.
The company is ramping up its delivery team to provide faster and quicker service in a bid to stay ahead in the highly competitive food delivery market. Other players operating in this segment are players such as Zomato and FoodPanda with a leadership position.
However, Swiggy differs in that it is more hyper-local and owns the delivery team equipped with smartphones, who pick-up orders and efficiently deliver to customers. Compared to Swiggy, other players rely on third-party vendors or the restaurants' delivery boys.
In the quickly growing hyper-local logistics market, delivery executives are the critical resource that can enable swift progress for start-ups. Having their own delivery fleet enables them to offer their customers several intriguing features such as faster deliveries, no minimum order, and multiple online payment options. It further ensures that the customers have a hassle-free experience while ordering food online, from choosing dishes to the delivery of their order.
In a statement, Swiggy said it has expanded its operations to Gurgaon and Hyderabad recently and plans to disrupt this supply market with its compensation plans and skill development programmes.
Founded by Sriharsha Majety (BITS Pilani and IIM-C alumnus), Nandan Reddy (BITS Pilani alumnus) and Rahul Jaimini from IIT Kharagpur, Swiggy operates around the concept of delivering food from the best neighbourhood restaurants to the customers’ doorstep. Unlike many other food delivery platforms, Swiggy drives a fleet of delivery personnel
“We currently have over 650 delivery executives from diverse backgrounds; some are college students working with us part-time, while others are full-time employees who have been in the logistics field for many years. At Swiggy, it has been our constant endeavour to encourage the delivery executive fleet by providing them with means for growth and learning. We have designed training modules specifically for the delivery fleet to encourage them to undertake greater responsibilities as they grow within the organisation,” said Majety.