Swiggy, Zomato Start Doorstep Delivery of Alcohol in Odisha Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Swiggy and Zomato have started doorstep delivery of alcohol in Odisha. The food-delivery firms are delivering liquor in the state capital of Bhubaneswar and the service will soon expand to other parts of the state. Both the food delivery companies have launched a dedicated section within their apps through which customers can order alcohol. The companies last week started delivering liquor in parts of Jharkhand amid coronavirus pandemic.

Swiggy and Zomato, both have launched the dedicated section, "Wine Shops" within their respective apps where customers in the state can order liquor from. Zomato told Gadgets 360 that customers could avail the service from 9am to 6pm, as permitted by the state authorities. The promotional poster shared by the company highlights that the delivery of alcohol will be done within 60 minutes of ordering. "The app will only feature licensed retailers, who have applied for the service," the Zomato said in the statement.

Meanwhile, Swiggy in a note has stated the service went live in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela today after obtaining necessary approvals from the Odisha government. Additionally, Swiggy is partnering with authorised retailers across major cities in the state after "validating their license" and other required documents as outlined by the state government.

To prevent misuse and ensure the safe delivery of alcohol, both Swiggy and Zomato have stated that the company will place several safety processes and checks. This includes age verification at the time of ordering as well as when the product is getting delivered. Customers will also be required to upload a valid ID proof to be eligible for orders that would later be verified by the delivery partner at the time of handing over the order.

Moreover, Swiggy has partnered with HyperVerge to enable AI-face recognition for mandatory age verification and user authentication for alcohol deliveries.

The latest announcement by the food delivery companies comes days after the Jharkhand government allowed doorstep delivery of alcohol by online delivery platforms in parts of the state. Both Swiggy and Zomato are delivering liquor in the capital, Ranchi and other parts.

The legal drinking age in Odisha is 21. The development is announced at the time when governments in states are looking at options to regenerate revenue as well as promote social distancing amid coronavirus pandemic.