Swiggy is expanding its electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure for last-mile deliveries by setting up battery-swapping stations at Instamart pods across 25 locations. The initiative is aimed at making electric two-wheelers more accessible to delivery partners and reducing the time and effort required to manage their vehicles during daily operations.
The company has also introduced EV rental services at these locations, allowing delivery partners to rent electric two-wheelers from the same places where they collect customer orders. The arrangement is intended to remove the need to travel to separate vehicle rental centres or battery-swapping facilities.
Swiggy announced the initiative at its EV Mobility Conclave, held under the theme "Powering the Last Mile". Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari attended the event, which brought together vehicle manufacturers, battery-swapping companies, fleet operators, rental service providers, financiers and delivery partners.
Swiggy EV Network
The battery-swapping stations will allow delivery partners using compatible electric two-wheelers to replace discharged batteries with charged ones at Instamart locations. This is expected to reduce waiting time compared with travelling to separate charging points.
Swiggy estimates that delivery partners visit an Instamart pod around 20 times on a busy day. By placing vehicle rental and battery-swapping facilities at these locations, the company aims to make EV access part of the existing order collection process.
The company said the saved time could be used to complete additional deliveries or attend to personal activities. The rental facility will also allow partners without their own vehicles to access electric two-wheelers for delivery work.
Delivery Partners
Swiggy Co-Founder and Group CEO Sriharsha Majety said the initiative focuses on reducing the practical difficulties faced by delivery partners who want to switch to electric vehicles.
"Every order has a person behind it, and the last mile is that person. Our delivery partners are at the heart of everything we do, and our vision is to make their work easier and more rewarding," Majety said.
He added that the company wants EV adoption to fit into the existing working routine of delivery partners rather than requiring them to make separate arrangements for vehicles and batteries.
Neha Singhvi, Head of Corporate Affairs at Swiggy, said wider EV adoption in last-mile delivery would require support beyond individual platforms. She identified affordable financing, reliable charging and battery-swapping facilities, and supportive government policies as important factors.
Companies Support Initiative
During the conclave, Swiggy recognised companies working in the electric mobility and delivery infrastructure segment. These included Indofast Energy, Yulu, Bounce Daily, RIDEV, Baaz Bikes, Motovolt, Shadowfax, BGauss Auto, Veelo Mobility, Hala Mobility and Yuma Energy.
The company also felicitated seven delivery partners, Sajan Lal, Kamal Kumar, Avanish, Sandeep Gupta, Vijay, Ritik and Khurshid, for adopting electric vehicles for their work.
Bounce Co-Founder and CTO Varun Agni said access to vehicles remains a major challenge for people entering delivery work. He said the partnership would provide riders with access to electric vehicles and battery-swapping facilities at locations connected to their daily operations.
An EV delivery partner, Umesh, said he rented an electric vehicle through the Swiggy app, with rental charges deducted from his payouts according to his preference. He also said battery swapping at Instamart pods made it easier to manage his working hours.
EV Adoption
Addressing the conclave, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari highlighted the role of affordable and cleaner transport in the development of the country. He said delivery partners could benefit from lower operating costs while electric vehicles could also help reduce pollution in cities.
"I appreciate Swiggy and its partners for working together to bring practical solutions closer to those who need them," Gadkari said, adding that government and industry would need to work together to make EV adoption easier.
The initiative comes as delivery and quick-commerce companies explore ways to increase the use of electric two-wheelers in their operations. However, wider adoption will depend on factors such as vehicle availability, rental costs, battery infrastructure, financing and the suitability of EVs for daily delivery requirements.
Swiggy Instamart
Swiggy Instamart is the quick-commerce business of Swiggy, founded in 2014 by Sriharsha Majety, Nandan Reddy and Rahul Jaimini. Launched in August 2020, Instamart operates a network of dark stores and fulfilment centres to deliver groceries, household essentials and other products to customers through its app.
Its business model is based on receiving customer orders digitally and fulfilling them through nearby stores and delivery partners. The latest EV initiative extends its operational infrastructure by bringing vehicle rental and battery-swapping services closer to the locations used by delivery partners.
By adding these facilities at 25 Instamart pods, Swiggy is attempting to address two operational challenges associated with electric deliveries: access to vehicles and battery availability. The effectiveness of the initiative will depend on delivery partner adoption, the availability of compatible vehicles and the ability of the infrastructure to support regular delivery operations.
