Flipkart partners with Meru to deliver essentials

NEW DELHI: E-commerce firm Flipkart and app-based ride-hailing cab operator Meru have tied up to deliver grocery and essential items to customers amid the nationwide lockdown.

Grocery and essential items will be delivered to Flipkart customers across Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Hyderabad through a safe and sanitized supply chain, the company said in a statement.

The synergies between both organisations will ensure that essential supply chains are functional while supporting driver-partners with income opportunities.

“Flipkart Group is committed to customers as India fights this unprecedented battle. This partnership with Meru is a result of our teams exploring new, innovative ways to drive value for our ecosystem of sellers, brands, partners, and customers to ensure the safe and swift availability of grocery and essential goods. We have a very secure and safe supply chain where we follow SOPs diligently, ” said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO, Flipkart Group.

In line with the government guidelines, Meru will provide its Ozone sanitized fleet to help Flipkart with deliveries. The dispatch hubs have been installed with ‘Ozone Air Purifier’, encouraging all driver-partners to sanitize their cabs, thus maintaining high standards of hygiene.

Meru driver-partners will undergo Flipkart’s training module for a better understanding of its processes for safe and timely delivery of the grocery items, while Meru is educating and updating its driver-partners on various preventive measures like using alcohol-based sanitizers and wearing face masks to curb the spread of the virus.

Speaking on this partnership, Neeraj Gupta, Founder and CEO at Meru said: “This is a unique initiative which we are undertaking with Flipkart which will benefit consumers immensely. Meru will use its fleet to ensure the timely and safe delivery of essentials to Flipkart’s large customer base in a hassle-free manner. This service will also offer our driver-partners an additional earning opportunity during this challenging time.”