AAP's Rozgar Budget | Delhi govt to set up cloud kitchen; plan to create 20 lakh jobs in five years

Arvind Kejriwal (Image: ANI)

As part of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government’s Rozgar Budget plan to create 20 lakh jobs in five years, Delhi will soon be the first state in India to have a dedicated cloud kitchen policy, reported CNBC TV-18.

Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister, presented the Rs 75,800-crore Rozgar Budget plan on March 26 for the financial year 2022-23.

Also Read: Manish Sisodia presents Rs 75,800-crore 'Rozgar Budget' for Delhi

The Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) of the national capital, in collaboration with the Department of Industries, will hold a stakeholder consultation on April 26 for formulating the policy.

Several cloud kitchen operators and food delivery aggregators are invited to the consultation chaired by DDC Vice-Chairperson Jasmine Shah, according to CNBC TV-18. The consultation will be aimed at understanding the various pressing challenges faced by Delhi’s cloud kitchen operators and exploring the potential and viability of setting up the cloud kitchen clusters.

With more than 20,000 cloud kitchens currently active in the city, the number of cloud kitchens in Delhi is growing at a rate of over 20 percent every year. Presently, it provides direct employment to as many as 2,00,000 and indirect employment to at least 50,000 people.

Cloud kitchens are set to be a $2 billion industry in India by 2024, up from $400 million in 2019. As cloud kitchens prepare and deliver food at the customer’s doorstep by taking orders through food aggregators or online ordering platforms, they can operate at a fraction of the traditional restaurant space.

The segment also witnessed a major boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many restaurants pivoting to focus on cloud kitchen setups, which are built on food delivery rather than dine-in.