With nearly 290,000 new cases in a single day, Indian e-commerce platforms are facing double challenges

As new confirmed cases continue to soar across India, Indian e-commerce companies will have to grapple with the dual challenges of delivering increasing customer orders in a timely manner and keeping their employees safe in the coming weeks .

India's total confirmed cases crossed 150 million with 2.89 lakh new coronavirus infections in a single day , while the number of active cases crossed the 1.9 million mark, data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday showed.

State governments in India have announced weekend curfews and lockdowns to curb the second wave of the pandemic, with record numbers of cases being reported every day, according to news agency PTI . Most states have allowed the delivery of essential goods through e-commerce.

Over the past few weeks, demand for groceries, essential products such as sanitizers and masks, books, consumer electronics and appliances has risen across India .

An Amazon India spokesperson said that currently, Amazon is delivering essential products as per the new guidelines set by the government.

However, even though e-commerce platforms are stepping up their efforts to deliver these continuous orders in a timely manner, it is expected that there will be many delivery delays and tight product inventory problems.

For example, a note on the BigBasket app, an online grocery delivery service, reads : " Due to local government restrictions on movement related to COVID-19, your delivery may be delayed. "

Another e-grocery delivery platform, Grofers, said it has established deeper collaboration with manufacturers, merchants and brand partners to meet the increase in demand and prevent supply disruptions, and said it has sufficient inventory.

While e-commerce platforms are constantly monitoring the situation and proactively taking contingency measures to deal with the situation, pressure is mounting as many employees and their families are now unwell.

Grofers also pointed out that as long as there is an increase in new cases in a particular city, some delivery employees will stop and cancel their services and return to their hometowns to avoid the risk of infection. This phenomenon has also occurred on other platforms.

E-commerce is the safest way to meet consumer demand while supporting the livelihoods of millions of small and medium-sized enterprises, including local shops. However, given the continued increase in new cases found in major cities in India in the past few days, the Indian e-commerce industry may face a more difficult situation in the future.

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