Swapnil Bajpai named CEO of Swiggy’s Dineout and Scenes verticals

Swiggy has appointed Swapnil Bajpai as Chief Executive Officer of its Dineout and Scenes businesses, placing a long-time insider at the helm of its dining-out and experiences verticals as competition intensifies beyond food delivery.

The appointment, communicated internally and reported by industry sources, signals a deeper strategic push by Swiggy to build a broader consumer platform that spans not only food ordering but also in-restaurant and experiential spending.

Leadership shift formalises integration

Bajpai takes over the role after holding multiple positions within Swiggy across business, supply, sales, and monetisation functions.

Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President and Business Head for Dineout, Assure and Lynk, where he led growth and operational initiatives across the restaurant ecosystem.

The move marks a transition from a founder-led structure to a fully integrated, company-run vertical with dedicated leadership and profit accountability.

Following Swiggy’s acquisition of Dineout in 2022, the business initially continued under its founding team, including Ankit Mehrotra, to maintain continuity in merchant relationships. Over time, however, the platform has been integrated into Swiggy’s broader ecosystem.

Strategic focus moves beyond delivery

Swiggy’s entry into the dining-out category was aimed at diversifying beyond logistics-heavy food delivery into higher-margin services such as:

• Restaurant discovery and table reservations
• Bill payments and in-restaurant offers
• Advertising and merchant services

The addition of Scenes, focused on events, nightlife and curated experiences, extends this strategy further.

The combined Dineout and Scenes vertical reflects a shift towards capturing a larger share of consumer spending, from everyday meals to discretionary outings and experiences.

Business model offers different economics

Internally, the going-out vertical sits alongside Swiggy’s food delivery and quick commerce businesses, but operates with a distinct economic profile.

Key characteristics include:

• Lower logistics costs compared to delivery
• Revenue streams driven by commissions, prepaid deals and advertising
• Additional monetisation through event ticketing and experiences

This model is designed to improve margins while increasing user engagement across different consumption occasions.

Bajpai’s experience aligns with monetisation focus

Bajpai’s career trajectory within Swiggy reflects the priorities of the vertical he now leads.

During his tenure, he has handled advertising and monetisation across both food delivery and Dineout, in addition to overseeing supply and sales functions.

His experience in extracting value from restaurant networks and scaling monetisation is expected to be central to the next phase of growth.

Before joining Swiggy, Bajpai worked at Reckitt as Regional Sales Manager and spent a significant part of his career at Procter & Gamble, where he managed trade programmes, regional sales operations and go-to-market strategies.

Competitive landscape sharpens

Swiggy’s expanded focus on dining-out and experiences mirrors broader trends in the sector.

Rival Zomato has also been investing in its dining-out business, bundling discounts, memberships and restaurant payments to drive engagement beyond delivery orders.

This intensifying competition is pushing platforms to build ecosystems that capture a larger share of consumer time and spending.

With Bajpai’s appointment, the Dineout and Scenes businesses enter a new phase of consolidation and scale.

Immediate priorities are expected to include:

• Expanding merchant adoption across cities
• Strengthening monetisation through ads and partnerships
• Integrating experiences more deeply into Swiggy’s core app

The success of the vertical will depend on its ability to increase user frequency while improving unit economics.

For Swiggy, the strategy represents a broader evolution from a delivery-first platform to a multi-layered consumer ecosystem. Bajpai’s leadership will be key in determining how effectively that transition unfolds.