Seven years of building core business offerings, navigating operational complexities, and empowering teams to solve at scale with Director of Program Management, Gaurav Verma.
Building something from scratch is exciting, but keeping it running at scale while launching entirely new offerings alongside it is where the real challenge lies. Gaurav Verma has been doing both for seven years at Swiggy. Today, as Director of Program Management across Food Marketplace, Dineout and Toing, he connects tech, product, Data Science, Ops, and business teams to keep everyone aligned and solve problems before they become visible. His journey from managing individual programs to leading key verticals shows what it takes to build at Swiggy’s pace without losing sight of the people doing the building. This is his story of endurance, leadership and seven years of continuous learning.
1. Take us back to the beginning. What brought you to Swiggy seven years ago?
I joined Swiggy in 2019 for the sheer excitement of building things from scratch and the chance to work alongside some remarkably talented people. Delivering unparalleled convenience to millions of consumers was a huge draw, and honestly, that same energy is why I never left.
Over the years, my role grew from managing individual programs to leading key verticals at Swiggy – Food Marketplace, Dineout, and Toing. Leading a team of program managers who bring that same energy every single day is what keeps me grounded and motivated.
2. How has your approach changed as your role grew here?
The biggest lesson from seven years at Swiggy is that good results come from people adding convenience every day. As I moved up, I realised leadership isn’t about doing all the work yourself. It’s about removing obstacles for your team so they can do their best work. That mindset shift changed everything for me.
3. Outside of daily operations, how do you make space for your own continuous learning?
What stands out about Swiggy is that employee growth is built directly into our culture through wellness programmes and mental health support. The Learning Wallet is an example of that commitment. I regularly buy books and access learning subscriptions. It provides a monetary benefit designed to help us invest in our own development.
4. As Swiggy continues to expand, what is your vision for the program management team?
My vision for the team is to build sharper, lighter processes that unlock speed and keep execution seamless. It is about taking the empowerment our teams already have and giving them even greater leverage, creating an environment where program managers have complete clarity, can clear friction for cross-functional partners, and consistently drive high-impact outcomes.
5. If you had to capture your experience at Swiggy in a single word, what would it be?
6. Food on Train is unlike anything Swiggy delivers to a doorstep. What were the main operational challenges you had to solve there?
Food on Train was actually one of our most complex launches because we had to build an entirely new delivery system. We had to enable delivery partners to navigate bustling railway platforms and deliver hot meals directly to passengers at their exact coach and seat numbers, during a platform halt.
When you are breaking new ground, you rarely have complete certainty about the outcome, and that is okay. What matters is having absolute clarity on the direction, setting sharp goals, and trusting your team’s skill to solve problems in real time. We backed our operational strategy with high conviction and execution efficiency, knowing that clarity around the work itself is what allows you to take calculated risks and move forward with confidence.
7. How do you define consumer convenience when building something like that?
To me, convenience is about making life easier in a stressful situation. Imagine being stuck on a long train journey with limited food options. Getting a hot, fresh meal delivered right to your seat changes your entire day and knowing our tech and ground operations made that exact moment possible for a passenger is what makes all the effort worth it.
8. Which Swiggy value resonates most with you?
I relate most with the value of “Always Be Curious. Always Be Learning“. Swiggy is a high-energy workplace where you are expected to move quickly and deliver results. But speed alone isn’t enough if you aren’t constantly learning.
9. If a new Swiggster asked you for one piece of advice on their first day, what would it be?
My advice to anyone starting at Swiggy is to focus on momentum over perfection. Don’t wait for a crystal-clear playbook before taking the first step; dive in, make decisions with the best context you have, and solve for immediate outcomes. Beyond that, invest heavily in your relationships across functions. No complex system is built in isolation, and the strongest outcomes come from trust and tight collaboration. If you bring a founder’s mindset and a hunger to learn, this is an environment that will stretch your capabilities faster than anywhere else.
