Swiggy using genAI to streamline operations as India’s food delivery market expands

Swiggy’s Food Marketplace CEO Rohit Kapoor said the company is increasingly using generative AI across its operations, offering ‘democratised intelligence’ to stakeholders ranging from the leadership team to restaurant partners and delivery workers. Speaking to PTI at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Kapoor said its AI systems are already ‘quite evolved’.

“For example, somebody calls customer service, and I have the ability through Gen AI to understand the quality of that discussion, and I can do something about it immediately. That’s a power that Gen AI is unleashing,” he said.

According to him, AI tools now help restaurants track dish-level performance, assist delivery partners with insights on high-demand areas, and provide leadership with real-time business updates. He added that robotics also supports internal functions such as warehouse operations.

On drone delivery, Kapoor said the technology remains at an experimental stage despite ongoing pilots. He noted that drones can reach designated drop points but struggle with last-mile requirements. “It can go to one place or one position, but you need your food at your doorstep. Those are the questions which will need to be answered first,” he said, adding that broader adoption will depend on cost efficiencies over time.

Kapoor described India’s food delivery market as largely untapped, with only 10–12% of the population having ever used such services. “Which means 85–90% has not,” he said. Swiggy expects the food delivery sector to maintain 18–20% year-on-year growth, supported by an expanding consumer base and low penetration compared to other Asian markets. However, he said the company has no immediate plans for global expansion, as “India still represents a fairly large opportunity”.

Discussing the workforce, Kapoor called India’s large pool of delivery personnel a “third pillar” of employment, alongside formal jobs and self-employment. “Gig sounds like a little bit of a fancy term, but the reality is it’s flexible employment. And I truly see this as a third pillar,” he said. He noted that around 2.5 million people worked on the Swiggy platform at some point last year, reflecting the scale and fluidity of this workforce.

Kapoor welcomed the government’s social security code but stressed the need to treat flexible work as distinct from traditional employment. “The moment you apply the same parameters, you will end up throttling something which is truly different,” he said. He added that motivations among delivery partners vary widely, from long-term earners to students and individuals seeking temporary or secondary income.

(With inputs from PTI.)