- Policy roundtable organized by IndiaTech.Org in partnership with Zomato
- Brings together key industry stakeholders for in-depth dialogue on inclusive growth of the Platform Economy in India
New Delhi. Zomato, India’s food ordering and delivery platform, reinforcing its commitment to foster long-term value for all its stakeholders, announced comprehensive 2030 sustainability goals. Announced on the sidelines of Sustainability and Inclusivity: Role of the Platform Economy Conference, the maiden policy conference organized by IndiaTech.Org in partnership with Zomato witnessed the coming together of top government officials, industry leaders, and representatives from civil society and academia.
Zomato’s sustainability initiatives are guided by the firm’s commitment to responsible and sustainable business growth while creating value for all its stakeholders. Crafted around the eight identified themes, Zomato has outlined specific and measurable targets to achieve the recently announced goals by the year 2030. The goals include supporting the growth of 300K restaurant businesses & food entrepreneurs, empowering 1 million gig workers, and supporting 300 million nutritious meals for underprivileged women and children, among others.
Commemorating the successful completion of the conference, Rakesh Ranjan, CEO - Food Delivery, Zomato, said, “Over the years, gig work has democratised access to livelihoods by reducing entry barriers and providing improved income prospects for lakhs of people in India. Today’s conference and the release of Zomato’s goals for 2030, reinforces our commitment to protect and ensure sustainable growth of the platform economy and all its stakeholders. Our heartfelt gratitude to the esteemed government officials, industry leaders, and representatives from academia and civil society for their insights - which will play a key role in guiding our collective endeavors of becoming a more responsible and sustainable industry.”
“Platform economy has become increasingly important for creating livelihood opportunities, providing social security and welfare benefits for gig workers. From a sustainability perspective, the Government’s push towards EV adoption has received commitment by platforms including Zomato, that is looking at facilitating 100% deliveries through EVs leading to net zero emissions across the food ordering and delivery value chain by 2033, which is laudable.”, said, Ramesh Krishnamurthi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
Zomato’s eight identified sustainability themes that are aligned with its vision of ‘‘better food for more people’, have been derived through a detailed process of stakeholder identification, engagement, and a comprehensive analysis of material topics. These are:
- Climate-conscious deliveries
- Facilitate 100% deliveries through EVs, leading to Net Zero emissions across the food ordering and delivery value chain by 2033
- Waste-free world
- Facilitate 100% plastic-neutral food delivery orders through voluntary recycling
- Facilitate delivery of 100 mn plastic-free food orders by 2025
- Help restaurants reduce food waste through training and collaborations
- Zero hunger
- Support Feeding India in mobilizing resources to provide 300 mn nutritious meals for underprivileged communities
- Customer centricity
- Build food ordering and delivery solutions for the next billion customers seeking affordability, accessibility, assortment and quality
- Governance
- Achieve and maintain high standards of corporate governance to protect the interests of all our stakeholders -
- Adopt leading data privacy standards and practices
- Continue to drive robust ethics and compliance practices
- Inclusive growth
- Support the growth of 300,000 micro, small and medium restaurant businesses and food entrepreneurs
- Enhance the earning and saving capacity of 1 million gig workers through upskilling, partnerships and benefit programs
- Health, safety and well-being for all
- Make substantive progress towards achieving zero on-road delivery partner fatalities
- Bring health and safety knowledge and innovations to restaurant partners
- Diversity, equity and inclusion
- Achieve a minimum of 50% representation of diverse groups - women, LGBTQIA+, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), veterans and other historically disadvantaged groups in our employee base and Board
Commenting on the sustainability goals for 2030, Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Zomato, said, “Sustainability is deeply ingrained in Zomato’s DNA, and we proudly stand as forerunners in driving business practices that prioritize both social and environmental sustainability. Our visionary roadmap for 2030 signifies a significant stride towards a more sustainable and inclusive future. With a dedicated focus on eight material themes, this roadmap goes beyond the confines of food ordering and delivery, actively contributing to a world where every action leaves a positive imprint. We are grateful to our vast community of customers, restaurant partners, delivery partners, employees, investors, suppliers and non-profit organizations for the progress we have made in this direction. We commit to a persistent focus on delivering our promise to shape a future where sustainability is seamlessly woven into the fabric of everything we do at Zomato.”
Speaking at the conference, Rameesh Kailasam, CEO, Indiatech said, "With India witnessing a massive penetration of internet and smartphones and a growing innovative start-up platform ecosystem, the gig economy with its barrierless, flexible and participatory nature has given freedom and opportunity for those seeking work opportunities to engage and earn. It is also heartening to note that this emerging eco-system driven by platforms like Zomato have wholeheartedly and responsibly embraced sustainability and inclusivity in their operations by releasing their sustainability themes and goals today. Indiatech.org is proud to be part of this momentum in the platform eco-system that creates livelihoods, contributes to ease of living for consumers while adopting sustainability.”
The "Sustainability and Inclusivity: Role of the Platform Economy" Conference held today saw active participation in a series of thought-provoking panel discussions. The first panel, ‘Platform Economy and the Changing Work Dynamics’’ delved into various aspects of how the rise of platform-based businesses and technologies is influencing the nature of work. The second-panel discussion around Electric Vehicles and Last Mile Deliveries provided a comprehensive view of the opportunities, challenges, and innovations associated with deploying electric vehicles for last-mile deliveries. Ramesh Krishnamurthi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, Michiko Miyamoto, Country Director, International Labour Organisation and Shri Ashish Kundra, Principal Secretary-cum-Commissioner, Department of Transport, Delhi, graced the occasion as Guests of Honours.
The first panel was graced by distinguished speakers such as Dr. Manjunath G, Additional Labour Commissioner, Government of Karnataka; Dr. Bornali Bhandari, Professor, Nation Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER); Rakshita Swamy, Visiting Faculty, National Law School of India University (NLSIU); Aishwarya Raman, Executive Director, OMI Foundation; Paroma Bhat, Senior Public Policy Manager, Uber; and Parul Gupta, Deputy Director, Bureau of Indian Standards. The second panel on EVs and last mile deliveries received a well-rounded and expert perspective from the likes of Sudhendu J. Sinha, Adviser, NITI Aayog; Akshima Ghate, Managing Director, RMI India; Akash Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, Zypp; Rajat Malhan, Senior Vice-President, Sun Mobility and Chaitanya Kanuri, Associate Director, WRI India.
Khushboo.mehra@zomato.com,
0 Comments