Swiggy Genie, hyperlocal delivery service, suspended in major Indian cities
What's the story
Swiggy, a key player in India's food delivery space, has temporarily suspended its hyperlocal delivery service, Swiggy Genie.
The suspension impacts most major cities across the nation, including Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, and Mumbai.
The move follows a similar suspension in 2022 amid rising demand for food delivery and Instamart services.
The latest suspension also comes after Swiggy announced an expansion of its Bolt service, which offers deliveries within 10 minutes, to over 500 cities.
Service unavailability
Genie service not visible in major cities
Launched in April 2020, the Genie service, which was available in almost 70 cities, is no longer accessible on the Swiggy app in key regions.
In some places where the service still shows up on the app, it shows a message saying that it is "temporarily unavailable."
Though a formal statement from Swiggy on this suspension is still awaited, customers have confirmed via social media interactions that Genie has been temporarily suspended.
Company statement
Swiggy's response to customer inquiries
Responding to a query regarding Genie being removed from the app, Swiggy said on X, "Genie is currently shut due to operational constraints."
Responding to another user's query, the company added, "Ah, the Genie's currently taking a little break from granting wishes. But worry not, we do hear your wishes loud and clear."
However, no specific timeline for Genie's return has been given yet.