Mumbai: Swiggy, an on-demand convenience platform, has unveiled its flagship program, ‘Swiggy Serves’, to address the dual challenges of food wastage and hunger. In its inaugural initiative, Swiggy has partnered with the Robin Hood Army (RHA), a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to eliminating hunger, to redistribute surplus food from its restaurant partners to underserved communities.
This collaboration aspires to make a significant societal impact by redistributing 50 million meals by 2030. Leveraging technology and logistics expertise, the program aims to reimagine food redistribution across India.
The pilot phase of Swiggy Serves has already yielded encouraging results, redistributing over 2,000 meals across 33 cities with the support of 126+ restaurant partners, including brands like Bikkgane Biryani, Biryani by the Kilo, Charcoal Eats, and Babai Tiffins, among others.
Rohit Kapoor, CEO, Swiggy Food Marketplace, remarked, “At Swiggy, we’ve always seen ourselves as experts in logistics and consumer experience. 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. We are excited to partner with RHA to redistribute surplus food from our restaurant partners to those in need. Currently, we are live in 33 cities, and we plan to take this initiative to more cities. This isn’t just about reducing waste, it’s about creating a meaningful impact, ensuring that no meal goes wasted.”
Neel Ghose, Co-Founder of the Robin Hood Army, added, “Robin Hood Army is thrilled to come together with Swiggy for this shared mission of reducing 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. Together, we’re creating a stronger, united front to ensure no plate goes empty.”
Restaurant partners can join the initiative by signing up via the Swiggy Owner app, indicating their willingness to donate surplus or fresh food. Once onboarded, they are added to dedicated WhatsApp groups coordinated by RHA volunteers. These volunteers collect surplus food and distribute it to underserved communities.
India faces a significant hunger problem, with 195 million undernourished people—one-fourth of the global undernourished population—according to the United Nations. The 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranked India 105th out of 127 countries, with a score of 27.3, highlighting hunger as a serious issue. Additionally, India wastes an estimated 55 kg of food per person annually, emphasizing the need for programs like Swiggy Serves.
