COVID-19: Swiggy prioritises Genie deliveries over food orders

New Delhi: Swiggy has decided to prioritise the Genie deliveries over food deliveries, taking note of rising Covid-19 cases, the home delivery startup announced on Thursday. The company offers speedy pick-up and drop service under its Genie. 

Swiggy said that all customers will get dedicated customer care support for all Genie orders. The facility will provide great help to those who are recovering in the safety of their homes. Customers can ship medical necessities, grocery needs or home-cooked meals using the Swiggy Genie service. 

In the past 15 days, Swiggy witnessed a 350% rise in the delivery of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines on a month-on-month basis. In the same period, the food delivery giant utilised its platform to ferry meals and tiffins cooked by friends and families. Currently, Swiggy is offering Genie facility in 65 cities across India.

Vivek Sunder, Chief Operating Officer at Swiggy said, "We are overwhelmed with messages from consumers expressing how Swiggy Genie has been a lifeline in these tough times. With several cities under lockdown, and family or friends to take care of, Swiggy Genie has delivered necessities like home-cooked meals, OTC medicines, test reports and grocery to the doorsteps of Indians. Considering the criticality of the service, we are now prioritizing Genie deliveries." 

Prior to Swiggy, Zomato also announced its efforts to help the country fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Zomato’s not-for-profit arm Feeding India inked a partnership with Delhivery to source oxygen concentrators to hospitals across the country.