Overview
- Bengaluru venture capitalist Ritesh Banglani posted a screenshot on X on Wednesday showing an SD card order from Swiggy Instamart that included a complimentary bunch of dhaniya (coriander).
- The post drew wide social attention and reactions from public figures, including Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, who questioned whether the image was real.
- Users on X provided earlier examples of similar giveaways, including a May report of an iPhone order that arrived with coriander, showing the occurrences are not isolated.
- At least one quick‑commerce company, Blinkit, formally added a free‑coriander option in 2024 after a user suggestion, but there is no public Swiggy policy or official explanation reported for the Instamart inclusion.
- The episode highlights how a longstanding market custom has migrated online and could be used by apps as a low‑cost way to localize service and build customer loyalty, so observers will watch for formal platform features or wider rollout of the practice.