Food delivery major Swiggy quietly suspends Swiggy Genie; here's why

Bengaluru-based listed food delivery major Swiggy has quietly paused its hyperlocal delivery service, Swiggy Genie, across several major Indian cities including Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Pune. The move comes just days after the company expanded its fast-growing 10-minute food delivery arm, Bolt, to over 500 cities nationwide.

Genie, which allowed users to request pickup and drop-off of items within the city, is currently marked as "temporarily unavailable" on the Swiggy app in most locations. Swiggy launched Genie around April 2020.

While Swiggy has not issued a formal statement, it responded to user concerns on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Genie has been suspended due to "operational constraints."

Hi Neel. Genie is currently shut due to operational constraints.

— Swiggy Cares (@SwiggyCares) May 2, 2025

@Zeda96 Ah, the Genie’s currently taking a little break from granting wishes, Suhas! But worry not, we do hear your wishes loud and clear. While there’s no concrete timeline for Genie’s return just yet, our team is working hard behind the (cont) https://t.co/p6Dw8TlSwK

— Swiggy Cares (@SwiggyCares) May 3, 2025

A familiar move reflecting operational priorities

This is not the first time Swiggy has deactivated Genie. In 2022, the service was paused in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad to prioritise food delivery and its quick commerce vertical, Instamart.

Swiggy's shift appears to be part of a broader recalibration in the industry, with platforms reassessing operational priorities in the face of workforce challenges, delivery partner attrition and rising fuel costs.

Similarly, Zomato recently shut down its 15-minute food delivery service "Quick" and its home-style meal venture "Everyday." In a letter to shareholders, CEO Deepinder Goyal admitted both services failed to generate meaningful demand.

Bolt gains ground as Genie retreats

While Genie is on pause, Swiggy has doubled down on Bolt, its ultra-fast delivery service launched in October 2024. Bolt now operates in over 500 cities and contributes to more than 10% of all orders on the platform. The service promises delivery within 10 minutes from nearby restaurants and has partnered with over 45,000 eateries, including major QSR chains like McDonald's, KFC and Subway.

The realignment reflects Swiggy's intent to invest in higher-margin, high-growth services while trimming offerings that are less efficient or harder to scale.

With its financial results for the March quarter expected on May 9, the company's strategic focus will come under sharper scrutiny. Swiggy had reported a 31% year-on-year increase in revenue at Rs 3,993 crore during the December quarter, even as its consolidated losses widened to Rs 799 crore.

On the other hand, its rival Eternal (Zomato) reported a 77.7% fall in its net profit to Rs 39 crore in Q4FY25, compared to Rs 175 crore a year earlier. Despite the decline, revenue from operations surged 63.7% year-on-year to Rs 5,833 crore for the quarter ended March, up from Rs 3,562 crore in the same period last year.