Swiggy, the food delivery platform, has announced a partnership with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) to deliver pre-ordered meals to travelers at four major railway stations in India. This move follows the footsteps of rival Zomato, which already offers a similar service.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Swiggy is set to commence delivering food from its vast network of restaurants to passengers on specific trains. Initially, this service will be available at Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam, and Vijayawada stations. Plans are underway to extend this service to an additional 59 stations nationwide in the upcoming weeks.
“One of the challenges encountered by travellers during extended journeys is the paucity of diverse culinary options. Through this integration, passengers aboard designated trains now have the option to savour good-quality, warm meals delivered right to their seats, thereby transforming their travel into a convenient and delightful culinary experience,” Swiggy said in a statement announcing the partnership.
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Annually, the Indian Railways facilitates transportation for more than 8 billion passengers. In October of last year, it unveiled a parallel collaboration with competitor Zomato, initially focusing on railway stations in New Delhi, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Varanasi.
The pre-ordered meals will be delivered via IRCTC’s e-catering portal.
“At IRCTC our focus has always been to explore new ways to make train journeys comfortable and convenient for the billions of passengers aboard the Indian railways every year. This partnership with Swiggy will bring more convenience and food options to our passengers, making their journeys more memorable,” said Sanjay Kumar Jain, chairman and managing director, IRCTC.
Rohit Kapoor, CEO of Swiggy’s Food Marketplace, described the venture as an exploratory move, highlighting the company’s dedication to enhancing consumer experience through a diverse array of food options.
Regarding a potential collaboration with Swiggy Instamart, the company’s quick commerce service, Kapoor mentioned that while they haven’t actively considered it, he finds the concept intriguing.
Travelers interested in utilizing Swiggy’s food delivery service can simply input their PNR on the IRCTC app and choose their desired station for meal delivery.
Swiggy connects consumers with more than 280,000 restaurant partners across numerous cities. Additionally, its quick commerce grocery service, Instamart, operates in over 25 cities.
Kapoor expressed optimism about receiving a positive response from both passengers and restaurant operators along these routes. This enthusiasm may lead Swiggy to expand the service to additional stations and routes in the future.
IRCTC offers catering, hospitality, packaged drinking water, online ticketing, and travel and tourism services throughout India.
Through its e-catering services division, IRCTC recorded 1.48 billion meals booked in the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2023. As per its annual report for the year, the service was accessible at around 338 stations, with an average of 40,669 meals booked per day.
Additionally, IRCTC provides static catering services, encompassing offline food amenities such as refreshment rooms, food plazas, fast-food units, and more, located on railway platforms.
In the fiscal year 2023, IRCTC recorded revenues of INR 3,541.47 crore, with a net profit of INR 1,005.88 crore.
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