Chennai: Swiggy (Swiggy Ltd, NSE: SWIGGY / BSE: 544285), India’s pioneering on-demand convenience platform, today announced a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the Varanasi Nagar Nigam to roll out a new initiative titled “Varanasi ka Swaad, Swiggy ke Saath”. Designed with the objective of celebrating the rich food heritage of the city of Varanasi, this initiative is aimed to provide convenient access to iconic local foods to millions of visiting tourists and residents of the city. The initiative was officially unveiled in the presence of the Chief Guest, Shri. Ravindra Jaiswal, Honorable Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Stamp, Court Fee & Registration, Uttar Pradesh and MLA (Varanasi North).
The representatives from 12 iconic local food outlets were felicitated by the Chief Guest at the event, These include Popular Baati Chokha, Chachi ki Prasiddh Kachori, Laxmi Chai, Pahalwan Lassi, Gama Paan Bhandar, Kaashi Chaat Bhandar, Neelu Kachori, Taste King, Pathak Ji Thandai Waala, Netaji Paan Bhandar, Gauri Shankar Kachori Wala, and Banarasi Paan Mandir (Luxa). A formal certification by the Tourism Department in the form of a plaque that communicated heritage, pride and quality assurance was handed over to all the felicitated outlet representatives.
As part of the rollout, Swiggy shared that beautifully designed traditional pushcarts will be stationed at some of the most popular ghats in the city of Varanasi, namely Namo Ghat, Assi Ghat, and Dashashwamedh Ghat. Visitors at the ghats can enjoy a wide range of popular food items from these iconic and celebrated local eateries.
Talking about the initiative, Shri Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India shared “Varanasi’s food traditions are a reflection of its history, culture and the creativity of its people. The city’s iconic delicacies, prepared by generations of local vendors and eateries, are an important part of its tourism appeal. We welcome Swiggy’s initiative to support these culinary ambassadors by providing them a platform to reach a larger audience, including visitors exploring the city. Such collaborations play an important role in preserving local food heritage while creating sustainable opportunities for our food entrepreneurs.”
Speaking about the initiative, Shri Satyendra Kumar, District Magistrate, Varanasi, “It is our Prime Minister’s vision to transform Kashi into a world-class tourist destination. The recently announced One District, One Cuisine (ODOC) initiative by the UP Government is aimed at promoting Varanasi’s culinary heritage in India as well as globally with focus on iconic food items of the city- from ‘Paan’, ‘Malaiyo’, ‘Kachori’ to ‘Lassi Thandai’. With the initiative by Swiggy, the city’s traditional food culture will get further visibility amongst tourists and locals, and in turn, help further establish recall for them.”
Added Rohit Kapoor, CEO, Swiggy Food Marketplace, shared “Food is an integral part of a city’s cultural heritage and we are confident that this initiative will go a long way in promoting the local and iconic delicacies of the city to millions of tourists who visit the holy city. Swiggy stands for convenient access, and with this partnership, we are thrilled to get more customers to explore the culinary heritage of this beautiful city. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the Varanasi Nagar Nigam for their unwavering support in helping us bring this vision to life.”
Swiggy has been committed to empowering restaurant partners across the country and continues to roll out initiatives aimed at further enabling the growth of their businesses.
About Swiggy
Swiggy is India’s pioneering on-demand convenience platform, catering to millions of consumers each month. Founded in 2014, its mission is to elevate the quality of life for the urban consumer by offering unparalleled convenience, enabled by over 6.1 lakh delivery partners. With an extensive footprint in food delivery, Swiggy Food collaborates with over 2.7 lakh restaurants across 720+ cities. Instamart, its quick commerce platform operating in 129 cities, delivers groceries and other essentials across 20+ categories. Fueled by a commitment to innovation, Swiggy continually incubates and integrates new services like Swiggy Dineout and Swiggy Scenes into its multi-service app as well as creating standalone offerings like Toing and Crew for opening up new market segments. Leveraging cutting-edge technology and Swiggy One, the country’s only membership program offering benefits across food, quick commerce and dining out, Swiggy aims to provide a superior experience to its users. For more details, please visit our website: www.swiggy.com/corporate/
