Swiggy to onboard 36,000 street vendors as part of the PM SVANidhi scheme

Online food delivery platform Swiggy on Thursday announced the expansion of its Street Food Vendors programme that will benefit 36,000 people in 125 tier 2 and 3 cities in the first phase.

In partnership with the Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNibhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, Swiggy has created a team to explore and identify popular street vendors on the platform.

The company has also created a special destination on the app where consumers can discover their favourite street food vendors.

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.

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.

"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.

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