Swiggy launches Project Next to offer career growth for delivery partners

Online food ordering and delivery company Swiggy on Tuesday announced the launch of an initiative to provide career growth opportunities for delivery partners by enhancing their skills and transitioning them from “blue collar” to “white collar” workers.

The programme- Project Next- is part of Swiggy’s larger initiative Swiggy Skills, which was announced earlier this month with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. It offers skilling, training, internship, and employment opportunities in its value chain.

“Swiggy works with nearly 400,000 delivery partners across India. This unique programme helps delivery partners transition from blue collar to white collar workers,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO, Swiggy Food Marketplace.

With Project Next, qualified delivery partners will onboard and manage Swiggy’s growing restaurant network, especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, offering restaurants high-quality support on the platform.

In the last five weeks, Project Next has transitioned 100 delivery partners of Swiggy as sales executives who have joined nearly 360 restaurants. In the coming months, Swiggy plans to transition hundreds of delivery partners across over 150 growing markets, including Vadodara, Amritsar, Nashik, Agra, and Dharwad.

Under the initiative, Swiggy will facilitate online skill development and upskilling of almost 240,000 delivery partners, and the staff of their 200,000 restaurant partners. It would collaborate towards the discovery of opportunities for employment for 3,000 individuals in restaurant operations, and various aspects of retail management.

Ravindra Khati, a 27-year-old delivery partner with Swiggy, is now a sales executive in Sikar, Rajasthan.

“For the past few years, I've been trying to pursue a career as a government teacher but haven't been successful in securing a position. However, my role at Swiggy has sparked my interest in a career within the private sector,” Khati said.