Indian expatriates in the UAE can now surprise their loved ones in India through Swiggy, the popular on-demand platform. UAE residents can log into the app using their local phone numbers and place orders for food, gifts, and even restaurant bookings in India.

“We deliver to almost 700 cities across India. People from here [in the UAE] can place orders for delivery,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO of Swiggy Food MarketPlace, during the UAE-India Founders’ Retreat at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The service has been live for a month and caters to the UAE’s 3.9 million-strong Indian expat community.

How to order

Residents can use international credit cards or UPI to pay, and no extra charges are applied. This feature also works for residents in other countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the US, Canada, and Australia. Users can shop on Swiggy Instamart and book restaurant tables via Swiggy Dineout.

During the event, Kapoor was surprised to learn about Indian locations named after Dubai, such as ‘Dubai Mall’ in Kerala’s Edakkara and ‘Dubai Gate’ in Telangana. When asked about expanding Swiggy’s services to Dubai, Kapoor smiled and said, “No, we have too much to do right now in India. We are still figuring out India.”

With this new feature, Swiggy helps Indians abroad stay connected to their families, making celebrations and everyday moments extra special.