Swiggy to bring 36,000 street food vendors online under PM SVANidhi scheme

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The SVANidhi scheme has received loan applications from 1.47 lakh street food vendors so far. From these, in the first phase alone, Swiggy will onboard an unprecedented 36,000 vendors to whom the loan has been disbursed in 125 cities, potentially making this initiative by Swiggy and MoHUA the largest of its kind not just in India, but globally.

"Even as we go through more stages of Unlock, there has been a long-term change in consumer behaviour regarding continued social distancing and heightened demand for online services like food delivery. As a platform committed to bringing the widest choice of food to the doorsteps of consumers safely and hygienically, we’re delighted to bring them their favourite street food which they have been missing for many months now," said Vivek Sunder, chief operating officer, Swiggy.

"More importantly, street vendors are integral to the food culture in India and we thank the ministry of housing and urban affairs for giving Swiggy the opportunity to do our bit to help them adapt to the ‘new normal’ and embrace and thrive in the digital economy," he added.

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According to Swiggy, all PM SVANidhi scheme street food vendors must undergo a three-stage training programme before being on boarded. After the training and registration, all vendors are required to do a self-audit and demonstrate the standards they abide by.

To empower and train vendors, Swiggy conducts virtual one-on-one training and takes them through the process of accepting, preparing, and fulfilling orders on the platform without compromising on consumer experience.

By updating the Swiggy app, customers in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Indore and Varanasi can easily find "Street Vendor" under the restaurant category. The app homepage also has banners that lead users directly to a range of street vendor listings.