New Delhi, December 23: The second “Sustainability and Inclusivity: Role of the Platform Economy” conference, organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), Invest India, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and Zomato, took place in New Delhi. The event featured discussions on empowering startups, small businesses, and prioritizing the well-being of gig workers.
Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, addressed the conference virtually. Zomato also announced the launch of its Accelerated Safety Response program, which uses the delivery partner app to automatically detect crashes and trigger an emergency response.
The conference included a welcome address by Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, CEO and Secretary General of PHDCCI, Rakesh Ranjan, CEO of Food Delivery at Zomato. Anjalli Ravi Kumar, CSO of Zomato, and Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India, also addressed the attendees.
The conference featured two panel discussions: “Empowering Startups and Small Businesses in the Platform Economy” and “Prioritising Platform Workers’ Health, Safety and Well-Being.”
Key speakers and participants shared their perspectives on the platform economy and its impact. Shri Nitin Gadkari stated, “India is taking significant strides to improve road safety. To that end, we have approved a new policy that will establish driving training centers nationwide with an aim to address the delayed emergency cases. Additionally, an INR 1.5 crore grant has been approved to set up automated testing stations to solve for road related emergency cases. Heartening to see work done by organisations like Zomato in the road safety domain especially their initiatives to train delivery partners, providing safety equipment, and empowering them as First Responders. Great to see the launch of Zomato’s Accelerated Safety Response Program at today's conference.”
Rakesh Ranjan said, "The MSME sector is the true backbone of India’s economy, contributing significantly to job creation, innovation, and economic growth. The food delivery ecosystem plays a crucial role in this landscape, providing vital livelihoods for millions and fostering entrepreneurship across diverse communities. At Zomato, we are committed to empowering 300,000 micro, small, and medium restaurant businesses by 2030, and our endeavour is to help them grow and thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. Together, we are looking forward to building a future where every meal delivered contributes to a stronger economy and a more equitable society. Our heartfelt gratitude to the esteemed government officials and industry leaders for their insights at today’s conference - which will play a key role in guiding our collective endeavors of becoming a more responsible and sustainable industry.”
Anjalli Ravi Kumar stated, "Sustainability is deeply ingrained in Zomato's core business ethos. We are steadfast in our commitment to prioritising the safety and well-being of our delivery partners. The launch of our Accelerated Safety Response system is a testament to this commitment. The feature is designed to provide immediate support and assistance to our delivery partners in times of need. Through such initiatives and programs, we remain steadfast in our commitment to integrating sustainability into every aspect of Zomato's operations.”
Dr. Ranjeet Mehta commented, "Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) serve as a cornerstone of the Indian economy, contributing significantly to GDP and playing a pivotal role in job creation and economic inclusivity, especially for vulnerable and marginalized communities. Platforms are instrumental in fostering the growth of MSMEs and bringing them into the fold of the formal economy. Through access to consumers at scale, platforms are enabling new and existing MSMEs including restaurants, logistics services providers and small-scale manufacturers across India, to attain their growth potential, transforming millions of lives and livelihoods along the journey."
Shri Sanjiv commented, “Bharat now is at the cusp of being a knowledge driven economy. Platforms and networks will play a key role in enabling collaboration, streamlining of information and increasing accessibility of resources. Platforms will also enable the growth of India's urban economy, drawing millions of workers into cities to work in a variety of businesses such as restaurants, logistics and warehousing. We at DPIIT under our Startup India initiative recently launched the Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR) with the intent to centralise and consolidate the Indian startup ecosystem enabling greater connections and networking amongst the ecosystem at large. We are committed to support the growth of platforms which is critical to our mission of building a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India.”
Zomato reported that over 3 million delivery partners have benefited from earning opportunities through Zomato and Blinkit. As of September 2024, Zomato had trained 44,985 delivery partners in emergency first aid, basic life support, and CPR. SOS ambulance services are available in 800 cities, with an average response time of under 15 minutes as of October 2024. The company has also established 8,576 rest points for delivery partners across India. Zomato also reports having more than 140,000 listed restaurant partners that are registered as MSMEs.
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