Seven years, four business units, and four levels of growth — Siddharth Kushwaha, Senior Growth Manager at Instamart, Swiggy, reflects on a journey that has been anything but ordinary.
Always think big, because the ceiling is rarely where you assume it to be. For Siddharth Kushwaha, Senior Growth Manager at Swiggy Instamart, that is not just a philosophy; it is seven years of lived experience. From joining as a Sales Manager at a time when Swiggy was expanding from 70 cities to over 500, to working across four business units and growing four levels up, his journey is proof that the biggest leaps often begin on the ground. Through conversations with restaurant partners, late-night data deep-dives, and the relentless chase of getting every last corner of a city on the map. Here’s how his journey unfolded so far.
1. Take us back to the beginning. What was your role when you joined Swiggy, and how has it evolved?
I joined as a Sales Manager in December 2018, and it remains one of the best decisions I have ever made. Swiggy was expanding aggressively into hundreds of new cities, and the energy was impossible to ignore. Over the years, the role pushed me to grow across technical thinking, analytics, stakeholder management, and decision-making, eventually translating into moving four levels up to Senior Growth Manager at Instamart. More than the designation, what I value most is the breadth of this seven-year journey: five years in Food Marketplace, two in Dineout, and now Instamart from December 2025, each giving me a fuller picture of how Swiggy operates as an ecosystem.
2. What has been your standout moment across these seven years at Swiggy?
Building Swiggy’s Food Marketplace in Nashik from scratch is what comes to mind first. We achieved 100% serviceability across the city and secured Swiggy’s exclusive partnerships with legendary brands. Watching that city become a market we could call our own was deeply satisfying. Alongside that, the consistent growth my team drove over the years, improving Restaurant Partner’s Net Promoter Score and growing market share on accounts we owned directly, has been just as meaningful. Owning the results, good or bad, is what makes the work feel worthwhile.
3. What is your favourite part of the job?
Identifying opportunities before they become obvious to everyone else, and then building a plan to go after them. My approach has always been two-pronged: deep data analysis paired with on-ground market visits, because data always tells you what is happening, while market visits tell you why. The full cycle of strategic thinking, planning, and executing never gets old for me, and I think that is a good sign when it comes to working at Swiggy for the long haul.
4. How was your interview experience, and what was your perception of Swiggy at the time?
This is a story I love telling. I was at a salon when I received what I assumed would be a quick call, and nearly 50 minutes later, I was still on the phone. That call genuinely changed how I looked at the opportunity in front of me. The questions went well beyond what I had prepared for, but that pressure pushed me to think on my feet and dig deeper than I thought I could. In hindsight, that one conversation was the most honest introduction to Swiggy I could have asked for.
5. Who is someone you would like to thank for making this journey what it has been?
Merwyn Crasto, Assistant Vice President – Business Operations, without question. He believed in my potential before I did and consistently pushed me beyond what I thought was possible. I also want to acknowledge Aman Mendhiratta, Raghav Lakhtakia, and Suharika. Although they are no longer with Swiggy, each one of them has made my journey richer and more meaningful in their own way.
6. What is the biggest lesson you learnt at Swiggy?The most important lesson I carry from my time at Swiggy is simple: take ownership as if the business depends on it, because often it does. When you stop waiting to be directed and start driving the work yourself, everything changes. The quality of your thinking sharpens, the execution improves, and the results follow. Swiggy always rewards that mindset, and over seven years, it has become deeply ingrained in how I show up every single day.
7. If you had to sum up Swiggy in a word, what would it be and why?
Empowering, productive, and rewarding. I know those are three words, but working at Swiggy has never really been the kind of experience that fits neatly into one. The organisation has consistently given me the confidence to think big and the platform to act on it, and that combination is something I do not take for granted.
8. Which Swiggy value resonates with you the most?
Display a Founder Mentality and Be Honest, Display Highest Levels of Integrity.
These values are deeply personal to me. Across every project I’ve driven here, honesty has been my core operating principle. Whether it’s clear communication with my team or building credibility through consistent follow-through with stakeholders. It sounds simple, but it’s the hardest thing to maintain under pressure. Swiggy is a place where people value that commitment.
There’s a quote that has stayed with me: “Honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into a failure.” Seven years in, I believe in this more than ever.
