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    From Swiggy delivery agent to restaurant owner: Bengaluru entrepreneur shares his journey

    Synopsis

    Koushik Kharvi worked for nine years as a delivery agent before starting his own seafood business. His experience included hiding his job from friends due to stigma associated with delivery work. After reflecting on his past, Kharvi now runs a food truck offering Mangalorean seafood in Bengaluru. Social media users responded positively to his journey, emphasizing the dignity of all work.

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    Swiggy shareholders approved capping foreign ownership at 49.5 percent. This move allows the food delivery firm to qualify as an Indian-owned company.Reuters

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    A Bengaluru entrepreneur spent nine years working as a delivery agent for an app-based food delivery company before building a business of his own. During that period, Koushik Kharvi worked with Swiggy and said he would sometimes hide from friends while making deliveries because he feared how they might perceive his job.

    Kharvi revisited that phase of his life in an Instagram post after Google Photos resurfaced memories from those years. A reel shared on his account shows his transition from delivering food for Swiggy to building his own seafood business, which he identifies as a Fish Food Truck and "Mangalore in Bangalore".

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    ‘More than hard work, I was always afraid’

    Looking back, Kharvi said the difficult part was not the physical demands of delivery work but the concern over how acquaintances might view him.

    "More than hard work, I was always afraid of people seeing me as a delivery guy," he wrote.

    The post focused on the emotional pressure he felt during that period and how his career has since changed.

    Today, Kharvi’s Instagram profile lists him as a seafood consultant and describes his venture as a food truck and kitchen serving Mangalorean seafood cuisine.

    From making deliveries to building his own food venture

    The reel traces Kharvi’s journey from working as a delivery agent to establishing a business around seafood. His venture centres on Mangalorean seafood dishes and operates as a food truck and kitchen in Bengaluru.

    The story documents a shift from working in a delivery role to creating a business of his own within the food industry, with Kharvi now presenting himself as a seafood consultant.

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    Social media users focus on dignity of work

    Kharvi’s post prompted comments about the stigma associated with certain professions and the importance of respecting people regardless of the work they do.

    One user wrote: "Trust me, this feeling is only in our country. Let's normalize that no work is small. Respect all professions equally. Once we start respecting all professions, we put less pressure on our children as well as a society in whole."

    Another commenter responded to his story with a brief message: "Another day of being happy for strangers on the Internet."

    A third user praised Kharvi directly, writing: "Bro you’re a rockstar, so proud of you...and you should be so fkn proud of your younger self."

    Another commenter summed up the journey by writing: "He once delivered food and now he serves his dream."

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    ( Originally published on Sep 26, 2026 )
    The Economic Times

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