India&#8217;s food culture is more than just a taste of the diverse cuisines that our nation has to offer. It&#8217;s a way of life that brings people together, celebrates our traditions, and creates memories that last for a lifetime. As someone born and raised in Meerut, I remember the times when my father would take me on the back of his scooter to Pinki Chole Bhature, one of the town&#8217;s most sought-after eateries. The aroma of the spices, the sizzling of the chole and the crispy texture of the bhature made my mouth water with anticipation. And then there was the Sonu bhaiya ka Badam sherbet. Even though it didn&#8217;t have any actual badam, it was perfect in every way &#8211; just like the moments we share with our loved ones over food.



Brought together by a similar love for food and a vision to paint our country red, in a period of just nine months, starting August 2021, Zomato launched its services in over 700 cities. This growth initiative is internally referred to as “Bharat”. Our journey in these markets has been a special one, primarily because of the unique challenges we have faced, both in terms of operations and customer behaviour.&nbsp;



Through it all, we have managed to hire rock-solid talent to run operations in these cities, ensuring that we continue to deliver on our promise of providing the best possible experience to our customers and bring the joy of good food to every corner of the country.


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Our journey is a testament to the capabilities and brilliance of our team, who work tirelessly to ensure growth and success for our restaurant partners and delivery partners &#8211; including account management, leading local marketing efforts, driving profitability initiatives, and so much more! Once battle-hardened, often managing 2-3 cities at a time, they transition seamlessly to manage top cities in key positions.



Without further ado, let us introduce you to some of the incredible individuals who make the impossible possible on a daily basis.


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="712" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-239261-1382x1536-1.png?resize=640%2C712&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-12895" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-239261-1382x1536-1.png?resize=921%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 921w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-239261-1382x1536-1.png?resize=270%2C300&amp;ssl=1 270w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-239261-1382x1536-1.png?resize=768%2C854&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-239261-1382x1536-1.png?w=1382&amp;ssl=1 1382w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Group-239261-1382x1536-1.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></figure></div>


The best part &#8211; this is just the beginning.&nbsp;



If what you’ve read here excites you, join us and join the “Bharat” revolution. We&#8217;re seeking talented individuals who share our passion for food and commitment to customer satisfaction as we continue to paint our country red. <a href="https://forms.gle/dfZtNe4mhAeRjNyC7">Fill out the form here</a> to show interest. Together, let&#8217;s make better food accessible to more people and make a positive impact on communities across India.

From the Streets of Bharat

<h2 class="wp-block-heading “text-font-family">The decision that changed it all!</h2>



Four years back, in March 2018, something big was brewing in my life. Outside, it was a beautiful day – winters were finally going to rest, and spring was gradually taking its first breath. The roads were laden with new flowers, and people were basking in the sunshine that felt the right kind of warm.&nbsp;



On the inside, however, I could feel a storm underway. I was shifting from Mumbai to Gurugram – my first time interacting with the northern part of our country. I grew up in Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh; went to college in Kharagpur, West Bengal; and did a small career stint in Mumbai, Maharashtra, for two years.&nbsp;



The move was one of those life-defining moments for me. I knew there would be a lot of change, but I was ready to give it my all. The idea of building the coolest startup in the country sounded way too exciting. After my interview with Arpit Dave, (co-founder of Runnr, a startup Zomato acquired in 2018), I knew I would be at the core of Tech that would redefine food delivery at Zomato.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading “text-font-family">The initial years</h2>



I joined Zomato in the Analytics Team working closely with Logistics – the team responsible for getting food orders delivered to the customer&#8217;s doorstep through the vast network of 3,00,000+ delivery partners and the backbone of our food delivery business today. My job here was to improve the overall delivery partner experience.



In my first two weeks, I realised the problem statements I was looking to solve were not just new challenges, they were completely unique. Initially, I could not help but spend long hours working, and yet, I would not meet timelines. It was during this time I was asked to create a simulation product using python, which had to be replicated from the Go programming language. Since I came from an Economics background, it was difficult to understand anything that had code in it. This was a major challenge for me — codes seemed Latin to me. However, I was ready to learn Latin, if it came to that.&nbsp;



So I started – first, by constantly asking engineers around me the very basic questions. How do things work, which language is used, how can I learn them, etc? And then, I put those learnings into action. After a few months, I finally shipped my first simulation, which signals our platform to deactivate localities where the predicted demand of orders would exceed available delivery partners (to fulfil these orders), thereby leading to a poor customer experience. Eventually, this simulation became the basis for the final product that was launched! My joy knew no bounds. This experience encouraged me to learn more and solve new problems. &nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading “text-font-family">Moving beyond my comfort zone</h2>



By the time I completed my first year, I had not only learnt the basics of all algorithms but was adept at the science behind Zomato&#8217;s Logistics product. I started searching for problems around the logistics framework that could best be solved using data science. This was when I stumbled upon building a model to estimate the credit limits for each delivery partner. I built the model end-to-end, and in the journey, learnt how models could make everyday life simpler. Once you know how a model works, all you have to do is put in the right features, and ta-da, you have a structure in place that can be scaled and replicated easily.



This is how my love and appetite for data science, models and big data grew. Subsequently, I realised I wanted to extend my core towards machine learning. So one day, I went to one of the tech leaders here at Zomato and asked if I could move to the Data Science Team. Thanks to the model I built recently and Zomato&#8217;s culture of letting people be driven by their passions, he instantly agreed.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading “text-font-family">Finding my calling</h2>



While working in the Data Science Team, we had an inter-departmental meeting with the Risk Management Team to discuss how we can make food ordering and delivery safer for all our stakeholders – be it the customers, our delivery partners and the restaurant partners by identifying suspicious behaviour on the app. As we started working on this, we found a whole new rabbit hole. It was almost an awakening to the need to extend the scope further to stitch varied models to help reduce high-risk behaviours on the Zomato platform. And so, we expanded the scope of the Risk Management Team to many new areas – to use a wide range of app signals and behaviours to distinguish suspicious actors from genuine customers faster and more accurately.



Some of the projects that came out of this team have also helped improve the overall delivery partner and customer experience. One such project was to identify and club unique addresses together as a signal for our risk models. Today, the Logistics team also uses the same model to modify addresses for more accurate locations. Now, fewer delivery partners need to call customers to figure out the exact delivery location.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Overall, my journey in the Risk Management Team turned out to be everything and more I ever wanted it to be – a place I now call my second home. A great set of problems to work on and the best of colleagues (who became friends). I got to know some of the best people in Z – <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachnapande/">Rachna </a>and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-singh-b7b41562/">Aanchal</a>. A trio that came together for work, but stayed together for the shared love of food and hanging out.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="480" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-25-at-1.18-1-1-2-1024x768-1.png?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-11724" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-25-at-1.18-1-1-2-1024x768-1.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-25-at-1.18-1-1-2-1024x768-1.png?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-25-at-1.18-1-1-2-1024x768-1.png?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading “text-font-family">Summing it up</h2>



I came to Zomato to discover the best of my professional capabilities but found way more. There&#8217;s something unique about working with people who are always up for going the extra mile and building products with the mindset that they will last forever. It&#8217;s here that I got to know how trusting people to do their best opens up so many growth avenues and that there will always be something more to dig into. In my four-year journey, I&#8217;ve realised that at Zomato, the need for an answer is greater than the need for mystery.&nbsp;



Even after spending 1,500+ days, it seems like the journey has only begun, and I can&#8217;t wait to find what&#8217;s in store.&nbsp;

In the end, it’s all worth it

I was 16-years-old when I realised I had ADHD coupled with Dyslexia. This awareness hit me hard, even though I wasn&#8217;t treated any differently by others. Something that came easy to others – breaking down a simple task into small steps – became my biggest weakness.



Even on the hardest of days, sports have always helped me cope with stress and fatigue and have always given me a lot of confidence. It has also allowed me to vent and express my emotions better. While throughout school it was Football, at university Rugby became my escape.&nbsp;



For me, the best part about a game is the team and morale building rituals that take place before a game. It is the discipline of the game that helps you sustain it &#8211; a rule I follow off the field too. Sports gave me so much, including the companions I dearly call my friends.



Till about two years ago, I was living my best life. I was working at a pre-funded startup and playing for my city&#8217;s rugby club.&nbsp;



Then the pandemic hit and everything came to an abrupt stop. I tried to keep myself busy and stick to the routine I had become accustomed to as much as possible. In this way, I believe I was running away from my personal struggles in the process – my anxiety, confusion, and coping mechanism with organisation skills.&nbsp;



Alas! They all caught up with me during the last ten months, again!&nbsp;



You might look for a resolution in this story but I don’t have one. Mine is an ongoing journey of unlearning and learning things about myself. I try to keep my head high and put my heart into the work I do and love. I recall the lessons from sports, mainly discipline and dedication and taking life one step at a time!



I realised how important it is to know when to ask for help and how underrated acceptance, humility, and humour are. Being a little more mindful of myself went a long way and continues to help. Sharing our problems doesn&#8217;t make them less significant, right?



It’s okay to share the weight. I still struggle with fundamental organisational skills and dealing with emotions but at the same time, I credit myself for the work I put in &#8211; on and off-field.&nbsp;



I am working on this &#8211; isn’t that what life is?



This story is part of Zoman Says &#8211; a blog category, in which Zomans share personal anecdotes and their life experiences in a bid to inspire and contribute to community culture. 



All images were consented and sourced from Pulkit Saraswat&#8217;s personal image library.

Share the weight of your problems. The lighter the better :)

We have always been about being a more inclusive workplace. So far, our inclusive workplace initiatives haven’t taken into consideration the fact that only about ~0.5% of our delivery partners are women.&nbsp;



Today, we are taking our first step towards increasing the participation of women delivery partners in our fleet. To begin with, we have set ourselves a goal of reaching 10% participation by the end of 2021 starting with Bangalore, Mumbai, and Pune.



Adding more women to our delivery fleet is not as simple as just targeting more women for this job. That’s because our policies need to change in order to attract and retain more women delivery partners. To achieve our goal of 10% women participation in the three pilot cities, we are working on four key initiatives –&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Access to safety-related education and tools&nbsp;<ul><li>We are adding self-defense training to our onboarding process which will be mandatory for all women delivery partners to attend&nbsp;</li><li>In addition to our first-aid kits, all women delivery partners will be equipped with a handy hygiene and safety kit </li></ul></li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Contactless deliveries by default<ul><li>To prioritize our women delivery partners’ safety, we will be making late evening deliveries contactless by default</li></ul></li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Extended support from our restaurant partners<ul><li>Many restaurant partners have come forward to ensure access to basic facilities such as separate washrooms for our women partners</li><li>We will highlight these restaurants with a #GirlPower tag (tag subject to change) on our app to showcase their support towards an equitable society</li><li>Furthermore, our women partners will be able to rate restaurants on “ease and safety”. We will utilize these ratings to improve working conditions for all our delivery partners.&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>SOS button and dedicated support<ul><li>We are setting up a 24&#215;7 helpline – a dedicated support team for our women partners – which will focus on expediting emergency requests to prioritize safety</li><li>Once triggered, the SOS button, on our delivery partner app, will automatically share live location with our on-ground teams, central rider support, and other delivery partners in the vicinity</li></ul></li></ul>



Hopefully, in the near future, people won&#8217;t generalise this community as delivery boys, and see them for what they truly are &#8211; delivery partners.&nbsp;



We continue to take feedback from our delivery partners and work towards making necessary changes &#8211; big or small, whatever may be the need of the hour to make Zomato a more inclusive workplace. If you have any suggestions or actionable insights to help us reach our target sooner than later, do reach out to me at d@zomato.com