Covid-19: Flipkart temporarily suspended

Flipkart, the major e-commerce company has said on Wednesday that they are temporarily suspending their operations in view of the 21-day nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 outbreak.  

“Hello fellow Indians, We are temporarily suspending operations. Your needs have always been our priority and our promise is that we will be back to serve you, as soon as possible,” said a message on the website.

The Flipkart which is owned by the Wallmart has been struggling to carry out its business in the last few days as the restrictions on the movement of people and the goods were enforced across the different states. Other e-commerce portals like Amazon, Snapdeal, BigBasket, and Grofers have also faced similar logistical problems.

The note on Flipkart’s website went on to add which says, “These are difficult times, times like no other. Never before, have communities stayed apart to stay safe. Never before, has been at home meant helping the nation. We urge you to stay home to stay safe. We will get there. And we will get through. Together.”

Although the eCommerce delivery of food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment has been exempted from the lockdown, the collapse of the supply-chain network has made life difficult for all suppliers.

Amazon is also facing the same issue, but it has not suspended all its operations. It has been decided to be selective in its deliveries and says, “To serve customers’ most urgent needs while also ensuring their safety of our associates, we are prioritizing all our resources to serve products that are currently a high priority for customers. Other products are temporarily unavailable for purchase.”

According to Tracxn, Flipkart has an employee count of 5,710 and 30,000 delivery staff (on roll and off roll). While the Amazon, on the other hand, has nearly 7,50,000 employees globally, out of which India accounts for more than 50,000 employees.

India is home to approximately 185,000 delivery workers, as per a 2018 estimation by TeamLease Services. Further, in 2018-19, the Indian e-commerce market was worth $38.5 billion.

Also See: Export Banned on ventilators and Sanitizers!