E-commerce firms seek government nod to deliver more products

They want to deliver smartphones, laptops & tablets, household & kitchen items, and books & general merchandise

Even as the prime minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown for another 19 days, the e-commerce sector has sought clearance from the state government to start delivering both essential and non-essential goods during the extended lockdown period with necessary safety precautions.

In a presentation made to the state chief minister B S Yediyurappa through the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the e-commerce industry has stated that they can help the government in achieving the objectives of the lockdown by supplying essential items and other necessary goods.

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"We have requested the government to allow e-commerce companies to deliver all products in an unrestricted manner. In case of restrictions on full opening, we have asked the government to allow delivery of smartphones, laptops & tablets, household & kitchen items, and books & general merchandise," an e-commerce industry representative told DH.

Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

The government of India and state governments have already classified e-commerce as an essential service. In recent weeks, e-commerce companies have ramped up capabilities to deliver essentials, namely food and grocery, to consumers across the country.

"An ICMR study shows a Covid-19 patient could infect 406 people in 30 days with free movement. On the other hand, a single e-commerce delivery person prevents about 350 people from coming out in a week to buy essentials. Ecommerce can also help promote social stability by ensuring people have access to all products in a timely manner," the e-commerce industry representative said.

Ecommerce platforms have the logistics infrastructure to deliver supplies of food, hygiene/sanitary and PPE products to front line responders (e.g. community kitchens) and vulnerable communities (e.g., migrant camps, via kiranas) in approximately 19,000 pin-codes using their delivery network.

Industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has said partial operations by selected industries should be allowed to restart partially on a priority basis. “The "safe" lifting of the lockdown for sectors such as food processing, packaging, e-commerce, aerospace, construction and logistics sectors either partially or fully,” Sandeep Singh, Chairman, CII-Karnataka said.

The e-commerce sector supports the MSME sector in a big way and by enabling e-commerce, the government can drive the revival of MSME sellers, which clock an annual sales turnover of over Rs 3,000 crore. They employ over 50,000+ people and sell clothing, mobiles, personal health items, footwear, etc.