#StartupsVsCovid19: Swiggy CEO Gives Up 50% Of Salary To Support Delivery Partners

Online food delivery platform Swiggy is looking to raise INR 10 Cr for a special relief fund to provide financial and medical stability to all its delivery partners and their family members. So, far the company has already raised INR 4 Cr from the founders, senior leaders, employees and the investors of Swiggy. The company’s cofounder and CEO, Sriharsha Majety, has decided to give up on 50% of his annual salary to contribute to the relief fund. 

“Our industry is built on the efforts of our delivery partners. It is in times like these, that we come together to appreciate and support those who are putting their lives at risk to serve others,” said Sriharsha Majety, CEO, Swiggy.

The Swiggy Hunger Savior Covid Relief Fund will ensure that all delivery partners and their family members, who are not covered by existing medical insurance, are provided a cover by the fund towards medical and hospitalisation expenses related to coronavirus.

Besides this, the relief fund will provide income protection insurance for up to 14 days of income to the partners tested positive with coronavirus. Moreover, Swiggy will also provide food and grocery care packages to the partners and their families facing hardships.

The company has highlighted that it has been constantly working with the delivery partners to keep them aware and educated about the coronavirus pandemic. It has also provided the partners with hygiene equipment, free on-call medical consultation and training on best practices as well. 

Moreover, Swiggy highlighted that it also introduced a tipping feature and “no contact” delivery feature to help out the delivery partners. Zomato too introduced a contactless delivery option to minimise the potential exposures recently, and the tipping feature was available on Zomato since last year. 

Besides this, Zomato through its non-profit arm Feeding India has set up a “Feed the Daily Wager” campaign to distribute ration kits that should last a family of five for one whole week. Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Zomato, said the company managed to collect INR 1.5 Cr within 17 hours in support of the initiative. Zomato is now looking to raise another INR 25 Cr for the fund.

With all the restaurants shutting down for dine-in services, the online delivery has indeed become the backbone of the economy.  Ashish Tulsian of POSist, during an AMA session held by Inc42, highlighted this trend is going to stay much longer than the lockdown is over. He believes that the lockdown if prolonged is going to have an irreversible effect on the consumption habits of the users, even when it comes to dining out.

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