Explained: Swiggy’s new programme to help its delivery executives move to managerial roles

“To be eligible for the role of a Fleet Manager, a Swiggy delivery executive must hold a college degree, possess communication skills and basic computer knowledge, and should have been delivering with Swiggy for a few years,” the company said. It did not specify the exact number of years workers would need to have been associated with the firm to be eligible for the programme. However, it did say that it was considering reducing the tenure requirement for delivery workers to be eligible for the programme to around 2 years.

How have gig workers fared in India?

There have been instances over the last few years when gig workers engaged with platform companies like Zomato, Swiggy, Ola, Uber and Urban Company have launched protests against their employers, complaining about harsh working conditions, declining pay, and the absence of an effective grievance redressal system.

According to a report by BCG, there are over 200 million gig workers. The report said that while gig work remained broadly attractive to workers, specific pain points remained unaddressed. “These are typically related to work assurance, timely payments, learning and personality development and regular salary increments,” it added.

Have other startups announced benefit programmes for gig workers?

Last month, home service marketplace Urban Company announced a stock ownership plan worth Rs 150 crore for 20,000 to 30,000 of its service professionals over the next five to seven years. While the firm did not divulge details about how it would initiate the stock buyback, it said it would set up an evergreen trust to manage the programme, called the Partner Stock Ownership Plan (PSOP), and award stocks at a “near zero” cost to service professionals.

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