Swiggy has temporarily suspended its hyperlocal delivery service, Swiggy Genie, in several major cities across India. The service, which operates in nearly 70 cities, is currently marked as “temporarily unavailable” for most users in locations such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR.
Responding to queries on X, Swiggy stated that its team is working to restore the service, though no timeline has been provided. This isn’t the first time Genie has been paused. Back in 2022, the company halted operations in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad to prioritise its core food delivery and Instamart services.
The move mirrors a broader trend in the quick commerce space. Zomato, for example, recently shut down its 15-minute food delivery service “Quick” just four months after launch. These shifts suggest that platforms are reassessing their strategies, focusing resources on services that offer better operational efficiency and clearer demand.
At the same time, Swiggy has expanded its 10-minute delivery service, Bolt, to over 500 cities. Rather than signalling a retreat from hyperlocal delivery, this points to realignment, investing more heavily in offerings with stronger margins and long-term potential.
Workforce management remains a key challenge in the sector. Swiggy’s 2022 pause was largely due to a shortage of delivery personnel during peak food ordering hours. Rising fuel costs and high attrition rates, estimated at 18–20% in 2022, have led gig workers to chase better incentives or shift to adjacent sectors, forcing companies to be more selective with their service portfolios.
These adjustments reflect a wider industry effort to strike the right balance between consumer convenience and business sustainability. Services like Genie may be temporarily shelved while companies double down on higher-margin verticals that support both profitability targets and fair compensation for delivery partners.
Swiggy Genie, launched in April 2020, was built for on-demand pick-up and drop-off tasks. Whether this latest pause becomes permanent remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the delivery landscape is still evolving and platforms are staying nimble to keep pace.
