E-commerce firms gear up for curbs

As more states around the nation impose mini-lockdowns and tighten restrictions to tackle the rise in coronavirus infections, e-commerce companies are again bracing for operational challenges. While their experience last year has definitely  made them more prepared to gear with these challenges, the heterogeneity  of state regulations has made  this task arduous and challenging.

“The borders will be choked and the situation will be too chaotic. It will not be possible for the police deployed on the ground to check each and every vehicle and figure out which one is carrying essential products and which one is not,” an executive with a top e-commerce firm said. He added that Delhi, which announced a six-day lockdown on Monday, for instance, has not allowed inter-state movement of non-essential goods. Maharashtra, on the other hand, has not imposed any such curbs.

The sudden lockdown in Delhi left many companies in a lurch as their goods were in transition. Vinod Kumar, president of the India SME Forum, opined, “The state governments need to at least allow the e-commerce industry to cater to the people for all products and non-essentials. That is the only way to safeguard the interests of micro and small sellers as well as consumers.”

 

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