In under seven months, Swiggy’s 10-minute delivery experiment, Bolt, has gone from a pilot project to a national phenomenon. Now live in more than 500 cities — from big metros to tier-2 towns — Bolt has rapidly scaled just as Zomato quietly wrapped up its own quick delivery effort, blaming lukewarm demand and poor margins.
Bolt is not just about speed — it’s about smart execution. With a sharp focus on high-demand, quick-prep items, Bolt operates within a tight 2-km radius to ensure food arrives hot and fresh. So far, it’s partnered with over 45,000 restaurants, including big chains like McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, Burger King, Faasos, and Curefoods.
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Swiggy’s Food Marketplace CEO, Rohit Kapoor, explained why Bolt is working: “It’s not just the thrill of speed. It’s about getting your food hot, fast, and in perfect condition. We’ve built the backend to make that happen like clockwork.”
From biryanis and dosas to shakes, wraps, and sandwiches, Bolt’s menu spans 26 cuisines and features over 47 lakh dishes. The goal: give people what they crave, when they crave it — without the wait.
“People don’t want to compromise anymore. If you’re hungry, you want it now — and you want it done right,” Kapoor said. He called Bolt’s scale-up to 500 cities in mere months “nothing short of amazing.”
And it’s not just customers who are happy — restaurant partners are reporting noticeable boosts in efficiency. Order fulfilment times are dropping, wait times are shorter, and customer repeat rates are rising. For Swiggy, Bolt isn’t just a flashy feature — it’s becoming a core part of the business. Data shows that users who come to the platform through Bolt are 4–6% more likely to stick around compared to other users.
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While some competitors are stepping away from ultra-fast delivery, Swiggy’s full-throttle push suggests the company sees Bolt not as a gimmick — but as the future of food delivery in India.
