Swiggy Launches Initiative To Tackle Food Wastage

Swiggy Ltd. launched the Swiggy Serves initiative on Thursday with an aim of combating hunger and food waste, according to a press release.

As part of the campaign, the food delivery platform has partnered with the Robin Hood Army, a volunteer organisation, which is dedicated to fight hunger by redistributing surplus food, Swiggy said.

With nearly 195 million undernourished people, India had one-fourth of the undernourished population in the world. The country wastes 55 kg of food per head every year, according to the United Nations.

In 2024, India's Global Hunger Index score was at 27.3, citing hunger as a serious problem. The country ranked 105 out of 127 countries in the 2024 GHI.

The common motive of both the organisations is to create a "meaningful impact" by redistributing surplus food from Swiggy's restaurant partners to the underserved communities. They aim to do this "by leveraging technology to reimagine food redistribution". And, by 2030, the organisations plan to provide 50 million meals to needy people.

"We've always seen ourselves as experts in logistics and consumer experience," Rohit Kapoor, chief executive officer of Swiggy Food Marketplace, said. "With Swiggy Serves, we are leveraging our strengths and privilege to address a larger societal need and tackle the issues of food wastage and hunger."

"When an industry leader like Swiggy collaborates with a community-driven movement, it amplifies the impact, inspiring others to join the fight against hunger," Robin Hood Army co-founder Neel Ghose said. "Together, we're creating a stronger, united front to ensure no plate goes empty."

According to the company, its pilot project with RHA has already shown promise. During that phase, they were able to redistribute over 2,000 meals in 33 cities, and more than 126 restaurants participated in that initiative. Buoyed by the success of the pilot project, the online food app owner plans to expand the drive beyond the initial 33 cities.

Shares of Swiggy closed 3.45% higher at Rs 507.60 apiece on the BSE, compared to a 0.68% decline in the benchmark Sensex.