HBI Staff | Hyderabad 
Swiggy has enabled online processing and home delivery of alcohol through the ‘Wine Shops’ category on the Swiggy app. The service went live in Ranchi today after obtaining necessary approvals from the Jharkhand government, with other major cities in the state launching within a week. Swiggy is also in advanced stages of discussions with multiple state governments to provide support with online processing and home delivery of alcohol which the company can immediately enable by leveraging its existing technology and logistics infrastructure and nationwide presence.
To ensure safe delivery of alcohol and in compliance with applicable laws, Swiggy has introduced measures such as mandatory age verification and user authentication to complete deliveries. Customers can complete their instant age verification by uploading a picture of their valid government ID, followed by a selfie which the platform will use for authentication using an AI-powered system. All orders will carry a unique OTP which needs to be provided by the customer at the time of delivery. There is also a capping on the order quantity to ensure a customer does not order alcohol above the prescribed limit as per the state law. To avail this service, customers in Ranchi can access the ‘Wine Shops’ category by updating their Swiggy app.
Speaking about the introduction of the category, Anuj Rathi, VP – Products, Swiggy said, “Since the beginning of the pandemic, Swiggy has relentlessly worked to solve customer pain points and support local governments in every way possible. Taking advantage of our existing technology and infrastructure to enable hyperlocal deliveries, we have been working closely with the local authorities to support them with initiatives like expansion of grocery delivery and COVID-19 relief efforts. By enabling home delivery of alcohol in a safe and responsible manner, we can generate additional business for retail outlets while solving the problem of overcrowding, thereby promoting social distancing.”
Swiggy is partnering with authorised retailers after validating their license and other required documents as outlined by the respective state governments. Delivery partners and retailers have been virtually trained to facilitate smooth processing and fulfilment of orders.
To help contain the spread of the virus, Swiggy is constantly educating its delivery partners on WHO’s hygiene best practices and providing them with masks and sanitizers. Recently, the company launched a new ‘Safety gear audit’ feature within the Delivery Partner app which checks for ‘mask usage’ to reinforce Swiggy’s commitment towards ensuring the safety of consumers and delivery partners.
