SWIGGY DELIVERY STAFF DIES

Delhi poll body partners with Rapido, Zomato, Swiggy to encourage voter turnout

Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer, P Krishnamurthy, announced that over 100,000 polling personnel have been deployed for the May 25 elections, with measures in place to combat the intense heat wave. Special initiatives include 70 "pink" polling stations run by women, 70 model polling stations with enhanced facilities, and polling stations staffed entirely by persons with disabilities in each parliamentary constituency.

Quick commerce 2.0, and other top tech & startup stories this week

​Quick commerce, the buzziest sector in the consumer internet industry, is undergoing a significant transformation. We, at ETtech, have been tracking the sector super closely and bringing the biggest and most impactful stories to you, first.

Roadblocks for q-commerce; Mizuho InCred deal

Happy Friday! As quick commerce platforms diversify, they are likely to face operational challenges. More on this in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.

As mercury begins to soar, India Inc steps up to keep workers sun-safe

As India braces for a hot summer ahead, companies across various sectors are implementing measures to protect their workers from the scorching temperatures. From ecommerce giants to real estate developers and oil companies, efforts include restricted work hours, flexible schedules, resting areas, access to refreshments, healthcare facilities, and breathable clothing.

Ad isn’t created by us or any affiliate: Swiggy on viral post taking dig on Zomato pure veg fleet

In an advertisement posted by X user Nilesh Trivedi, the logo and name of Swiggy are seen on top, with the text commenting on rival Zomato's recent pure veg fleet. The user later said that the ad was very clearly a parody.

No spending freeze at startups; Swiggy, PharmEasy FY23 report card

Top internet firms didn’t let a ‘funding winter’ dampen their urge to spend in the last fiscal, an ET analysis found. Details of this and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.

Layoffs in 2024: List of companies that announced job cuts so far this year

According to data from Layoffs.fyi, a layoff-tracking website, a total of 2,62,595 employees were laid off last year by 1,187 tech companies. So far in January, 91 tech companies have already fired 24,564 employees.

RBI’s tokenisation push for digital currency; Flipkart chief on profitability

Happy 75th Republic Day! To widen the use cases of central bank-backed digital currency (CBDC), the RBI is exploring tokenisation of government bonds and securities. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.

Swiggy to axe 400 jobs; Groww vs Zerodha race heats up

The cuts, which will impact about 6% of its 5,500 to 6,000 staff, will most likely happen across teams like technology, call centre, and corporate roles. As per briefs given to senior leaders in the firm, the layoffs are expected to kick in over the next few weeks.

Zomato offers daily payouts to small restaurant partners

The payouts will be currently available to restaurant partners that receive 100 or fewer orders a month, the company said in a blog post.

Swiggy responds after Mumbai man finds half-cooked tablets in food

He posted on X (formerly Twitter): "My Mumbai Christmas Surprise ordered food from Swiggy from Leopold Colaba got this half cooked medicine in my food." It may be mentioned here that he had ordered chicken in oyster sauce.

Demand for delivery staff to surge as Cricket World Cup kicks in from October 5

Events of the magnitude of the World Cup have a direct positive impact on deliveries of food, groceries and items from ecommerce companies, experts told ET.

Zomato launches feature allowing users to tip restaurant staff

Zomato, in 2018, had launched a feature allowing users to tip delivery partners. Several other platforms, including its Bengaluru-based rival Swiggy, and ride hailing companies Uber and Ola, also allow their customers to tip the gig workers operating on their platforms.

G20 Summit: Quick-commerce companies staff up to meet demand spike

Quick-commerce companies in Delhi are expecting a surge in demand for deliveries during the G20 Summit, as most professionals work from home and schools are closed. This is anticipated to lead to a 20% increase in demand for last-mile delivery personnel.

Swiggy's staff can get cumulative $50 million under ESOP plan

Swiggy, the Indian food and grocery delivery firm, will purchase shares worth over $50m from 2,000 employees in its next employee stock ownership plan. The stock upgrade offers staff from Dineout - which Swiggy purchased last year - a chance to participate.

It's raining sops for delivery workers going the extra mile amid surge in online orders

Delhi-based food delivery companies such as Zomato, Swiggy and Zepto are providing additional incentives for their delivery personnel to meet an increase in demand driven by heavy rainfall in the region. Riders are being offered rain gear, rain jackets and free medical and accidental insurance. In addition, delivery associates are being given a "rain fee" incentive while riders are rewarded with prizes such as televisions and refrigerators for meeting delivery targets during the bad weather.

Companies try hard to shield delivery workers from heat

Ecommerce companies, at higher risk than others from the extreme weather affecting delivery executives, said they are rolling out support mechanisms including resting areas, doctor-on-call, energy drinks, ORS, and even clothing from breathable fabric, better suited to the harsh weather conditions. Several delivery executives that ET spoke to said they were suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, and it was tough to get through the day under these brutal heatwave conditions.

Online boom, or bane? Customer grievances pile up against delivery workers

Whenever complaints of misbehaviour and harassment are received, strict action is taken against the accused, a senior police official said.

As delivery staff stress levels reach worrying highs, companies start acting

Several food cos have started several initiatives for its workers. Food delivery platform Zomato recently launched 'the Shelter Project' under which the company has set up public resting points where delivery persons can take a break from their exhausting routine and use amenities like the washroom, internet, and phone-charging stations.

Swiggy rolls out ambulance service for delivery partners

Delivery partners can reach the ambulance service instantly by tapping the SOS button on the partner app or through a toll-free number. The current average response time is 12 minutes.

Hyderabad: Swiggy delivery boy dies after falling off building escaping dog's attack

A Swiggy delivery agent on Monday succumbed to injuries in a hospital after he fell from the a building while escaping an alleged attack by a pet dog in Hyderabad, the Police said. The delivery agent had been identified as Rizwan.

Swiggy delivery staffer’s death in mishap raises safety worries

A Swiggy spokesperson confirmed the development saying, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our delivery partner Kaushal Yadav in a heartbreaking incident on January 2."

Noida: Swiggy delivery agent dies after being dragged for 1 km by car; accused yet to be traced