Over 35,000 Street Vendors to be Onboard with Swiggy Under PM’s SVANidhi Scheme

New Delhi: Food delivery partner Swiggy on Thursday announced the expansion of its Street Food Vendors programme that will benefit 36,000 people under the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme in 125 tier 2 and 3 cities in the first phase. The platform has created a team to explore and identify popular street vendors on the platform in partnership with the central government’s scheme. The company has also created a special destination on the app where consumers can discover their favourite street food vendors. Also Read – Chicken Biryani Most Ordered Dish on Swiggy During IPL, Lucknow and Kolkata Binged on Kebabs

At the time of onboarding, Swiggy said it will ensure all vendors are registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and will facilitate a Food Safety Training and Certification (FOSTAC) in partnership with FSSAI and their empanelled partners. Also Read – Airtel IQ: Airtel Enters Cloud Communications Market; Swiggy, Urban Company Among Early Customers

The SVANidhi Scheme has received loan applications from 1.47 lakh street food vendors to date and Swiggy will onboard 36,000 vendors in the first phase, the company said in a statement. Also Read – After Paytm, Google Sends Notices to Zomato & Swiggy For Violation of Play Store Guidelines

“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, COO, Swiggy.

The online food delivery platform had a successful pilot earlier, initiated with the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Chennai, Delhi and Indore, through which Swiggy onboarded over 300 street vendors on its platform.

According to Swiggy, all PM SVANidhi Scheme street food vendors must undergo a three-stage training programme before being onboarded.

“After the training and registration, all vendors are required to do a self-audit and demonstrate the standards they abide by,” modelled on the lines of FSSAI’s guidelines to ensure that essential hygienic practices are observed.

Swiggy said it conducts virtual one-on-one training and takes the street vendors through the process of accepting, preparing, and fulfilling orders on the platform without compromising on consumer experience.

By updating the app, customers in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Indore and Varanasi can now find “Street Vendor” under the restaurant category.

(With IANS inputs)