From Swiggy, Amazon to Snapdeal, Paytm, e-retailers guard delivery staff, sellers to sustain lockdown

Even as the online retail sector has been battered due to the Coronavirus lockdown, India’s leading players in the e-retail segment including Swiggy, Zomato, Snapdeal, Amazon, Flipkart, and Paytm Mall are trying to minimize the impact on the income and livelihood of delivery personnel and merchants. The 21-day lockdown period, which is hurting the sales of multiple services, has left delivery partners and merchants or sellers on these companies in the lurch amid on-ground logistics and supply chain challenges.

Swiggy, for instance, has launched a relief fund called ‘Swiggy Hunger Savior Covid Relief Fund’ for its delivery partners and their families. The fund ensured up to 14-day income for delivery partners if contracted with COVID-19. Swiggy will also use the fund to provide food and grocery care packages to the delivery personnel and their families apart from providing medical/hospitalisation expenses related to Coronavirus for their parents and family members. “It is in times like these, that we come together to appreciate and support those who are putting their lives at risk to serve others,” said Sriharsha Majety, CEO, Swiggy in a statement who has committed 50 per cent of his annual salary towards the fund. The company has aimed at Rs 10-crore corpus for the fund out of which more than Rs 4 crore has already been raised through the contribution from Swiggy founders and employees.