Swiggy, a leading food delivery platform, has forged a strategic alliance with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) to revolutionize the dining experience for train travelers across India. This pioneering collaboration aims to offer pre-ordered meals to passengers directly at their seats, a concept previously introduced by competitor Zomato.
The initial phase of this partnership will see Swiggy commencing meal deliveries at four key railway stations – Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam. However, this is just the beginning, as the service is slated for expansion to an additional 59 stations nationwide in the near future.
In a bid to address the longstanding challenge of limited food options during long train journeys, Swiggy is committed to providing passengers with access to a wide array of quality, hot meals from its extensive network of restaurant partners. Rohit Kapoor, CEO of Food Marketplace at Swiggy, emphasized the collaborative nature of this venture, aiming to enhance consumer experiences with an assortment of culinary choices.
While acknowledging the potential integration with Swiggy Instamart, the company’s quick commerce service, Kapoor indicated that this aspect is still under consideration. Passengers keen on availing Swiggy’s food delivery service can easily do so by entering their PNR on the IRCTC app and selecting their preferred station for meal delivery.
With a vast network of over 280,000 restaurant partners spanning numerous cities, Swiggy is well-positioned to cater to the diverse culinary preferences of train travelers. Kapoor expressed optimism about the initiative’s reception among both passengers and restaurant operators along these routes, hinting at the possibility of expanding to more stations and routes in the future.
In fiscal year 2023, IRCTC reported substantial revenues of INR 3,541.47 crore, accompanied by a net profit of INR 1,005.88 crore, underscoring the potential economic impact of this innovative collaboration between Swiggy and IRCTC.
