CIOInsider India Magazine
Karnataka Government Allows E-Commerce Deliveries during the 14-Day Lockdown
During the 14 days' state wise lockdown, the Karnataka government has said the e-commerce platforms will deliver all goods. The announcement came after the drastic COVID-19 scenario in Bengaluru.
The guidelines state that home delivery of all goods would be permitted in the state, balancing the demands of offline merchants who have objected to e-commerce companies operating when their stores are closed.
According to the guidelines, the state will be allowed delivery of all goods through e-commerce and home delivery without distinguishing between essential and non-essential items, as Maharashtra, Delhi, and a few other states have done in recent weeks.
Apart from not enforcing any restrictions on e-commerce, the state also stated that it was allowing 24x7 delivery of vital goods to limit the movement of individuals outside their homes, in turn limiting the hours of service of stores selling groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and meats to just four hours a day.
Hari Menon, Co-Founder and CEO BigBasket, shortly after the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s announcement of new restrictions, stated that BigBasket saw orders in India shooting up by 23 to 25percent compared to the previous month in April.
Menon also stressed that, "nothing changes with regards to business since it is allowed to supply the essential product. It is in these times that demand tends to spike up, though there’s no need to worry about the supply. But the only problem is that people fall sick, where many supply agents are tested positively every day and this made e-commerce companies to outlay new hiring plans in order to meet the growing demand”
Further, another executive said the Guidelines for Karnataka could set a template for other BJP-run states planning lock-downs.
Although the cases seem increasing each passing day, the government of Karnataka considered the economy to be also important, where another e-commerce executive, who preferred their identity to be anonymous, stated that e-commerce will definitely benefit since consumers will want quick home delivery of reliable and affordable products, while working with offline stores.
The Karnataka government which has allowed both e-commerce and shops to function through home deliveries, where a senior executive from a leading e-commerce marketplace expressed that, this step is very important to maintain the safety of consumers as they stay indoors.
Menon also stressed that, "nothing changes with regards to business since it is allowed to supply the essential product. It is in these times that demand tends to spike up, though there’s no need to worry about the supply. But the only problem is that people fall sick, where many supply agents are tested positively every day and this made e-commerce companies to outlay new hiring plans in order to meet the growing demand”.
