Mumbai's famed dabbawalas will now facilitate last mile deliveries for the country's largest e-commerce player Flipkart, in a first of its kind tie-up for any online retailer. The first batch of dabbawalas has undergone training at Flipkart's delivery centres, a statement from the Bengaluru-based company said.At this stage, they will be using a paper-based tracking system.The e-commerce firm will gradually train them on the use of apps and other wearable tech.
“Dabbawalas are famous the world over and it's great if a company like Flipkart can also benefit associating with us,“ says Raghunath Medge, president of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Charity Trust, also known as the Dabbawala Association. It comprises about 5,000 dabbawalas, many of whom delivered parcels along with dabbas as part of the pilot exercise.
In the initial stage of association, as a partner to eKart, Flipkart's logistics arm, the dabbawalas will collect Flipkart marketplace shipments from the delivery hubs and deliver it to the customers--while picking their dabbas. Currently , a partner just for last-mile deliveries, the dabbawalas will not be interacting with the sellers at this stage, a company statement said. The initial pilot will be for prepaid orders--getting rolled out for cash-on-deliveries as the association expands.
Neeraj Aggarwal, senior director, Last Mile Delivery at Flipkart, said“ “Mumbai's dabbawalas are one of the most reliable and trusted brand in the city .Their delivery system has survived the test of time--even under extreme conditions that are atypical to a city like Mumbai.We are partnering them and leveraging this unique expertise to enhance our last-mile delivery capabilities.“
“Dabbawalas are famous the world over and it's great if a company like Flipkart can also benefit associating with us,“ says Raghunath Medge, president of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Charity Trust, also known as the Dabbawala Association. It comprises about 5,000 dabbawalas, many of whom delivered parcels along with dabbas as part of the pilot exercise.
In the initial stage of association, as a partner to eKart, Flipkart's logistics arm, the dabbawalas will collect Flipkart marketplace shipments from the delivery hubs and deliver it to the customers--while picking their dabbas. Currently , a partner just for last-mile deliveries, the dabbawalas will not be interacting with the sellers at this stage, a company statement said. The initial pilot will be for prepaid orders--getting rolled out for cash-on-deliveries as the association expands.
Neeraj Aggarwal, senior director, Last Mile Delivery at Flipkart, said“ “Mumbai's dabbawalas are one of the most reliable and trusted brand in the city .Their delivery system has survived the test of time--even under extreme conditions that are atypical to a city like Mumbai.We are partnering them and leveraging this unique expertise to enhance our last-mile delivery capabilities.“
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