Food delivery, ecommerce companies unite to protect delivery partners from heatwave

As large parts of India experience severe heatwaves, food delivery and e-commerce platforms are taking significant steps to protect their delivery partners from the extreme temperatures.

Leading the initiative, Zomato has established 450 rest points nationwide for delivery partners of any company.

These rest points are equipped with comfortable seating, free drinking water, mobile charging points, and clean washroom facilities.

Additionally, Zomato has distributed over 5 lakh units of refreshments, juices, and glucose at more than 450 locations in over 250 cities. 

Providing emergency support

In addressing health and medical emergencies, Zomato has introduced 15-minute ambulance services and 24x7 SOS support in more than 530 cities for all delivery partners.

Rakesh Ranjan, CEO of Food Delivery at Zomato, emphasized, "We also send out pre-emptive signals of upcoming heatwaves and have introduced full-sleeve, dry-fit t-shirts for all delivery partners."

Furthermore, Zomato has urged its users to avoid placing orders during peak afternoon hours unless absolutely necessary to reduce the burden on delivery partners during the hottest part of the day.

What measures have Swiggy and Blinkit implemented?

Swiggy's quick commerce platform, Swiggy Instamart, operates over 900 recharge zones in high-demand areas. These zones provide rest areas, refreshing beverages, mobile phone charging points, and restrooms accessible to all delivery partners across the industry.

Blinkit, another quick commerce platform owned by Zomato, has integrated SOS support into its delivery partners' app for quick assistance during medical emergencies.

Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa announced that the company is installing air coolers in the waiting areas of its stores to offer immediate relief from the heat. Both Zomato and Blinkit provide their active delivery partners with IPD cover up to Rs 1,00,000 and OPD cover up to Rs 5,000 for medical support at no extra cost.

What is Flipkart doing for its delivery workforce?

E-commerce giant Flipkart is also taking steps to protect its delivery workforce, known as wishmasters.

Prajakta Kanaglekar, Vice President & HR Leader at Flipkart, stated, "Flipkart's supply chain forms the backbone of our business and as an employee-first organization that prioritizes a culture of care, we are ensuring that our last-mile executives are consistently provided access to the right resources."

During the current summer season, Flipkart has included the distribution of glucose beverages, provision of additional fans and coolers across facilities, and summer safety management briefings to ensure heatwave advisories are followed.