Govt. Orders E-commerce Firms to Update List of Essentials
E-commerce Essential Items: In this pandemic situation, all companies have faced a lot of issues. Every business is experiencing many challenges to keep maintain its revenue. The government is taking the necessary steps to provide every possible solution for the country people.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, e-commerce companies suspended their services to maintain the guidelines. Few traders are redesigning and developing their e-shops and apps while looking to associate with large marketplaces. They are also analyzing partnership opportunities with local delivery operators. Following all the guidelines, companies allowed to resume their services. The support from the government comes at the most crucial time. The time when retailers have been battling with high costs and no revenue due to the lockdown.
The MHA had earlier permitted E-commerce companies like Amazon, Flipkart, and others to resume the delivery of both essential and non-essential products from April 20th, 2020.
The government believes the previous list was immense and could reduce the effect of lockdown. After all the confusion, e-commerce operations prohibited from resuming after April 20th, 2020.
They also mention that the delivery of non-essential goods by E-commerce companies will remain prohibited until the lockdown period.
The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has asked eCommerce companies to submit only the essential products list.
The move expressed by e-commerce majors prohibited their plans to resume full operations. The move started following the center’s notice issued on April 19th, 2020.
Once e-commerce companies will submit the essential product list, DPIIT will forward it to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) for final approval.
90% of companies allowed their employees to work from home. So, all e-commerce companies trying to provide essential WFH things.
They are looking to start the delivery of laptops, Charger, internet routers, and other stationeries. These are the few essentials work from home products that anyone can need anytime during the lockdown.
Meanwhile, people are listing the essential and non-essential things according to them. The topic has also made a buzz over social media platforms.
The reason behind the Previous List rejection - E-commerce Companies
The reason behind the MHA’s changed decision on April 19th, 2020 was the protests of local retailers and traders. The retailer and traders thought that this would be an unfair move for them. As brick-and-mortar stores were only allowed to resume business from 3rd May 2020. So, they believed allowing e-commerce companies to resume works was wrong and unfair.
In this pandemic, every business is facing the loss, so to maintain the level between the brick-and-mortar and e-commerce business is in need.
The MHA presenters also explained that the list of items e-commerce operators allowed to deliver found to be very large. That can be an issue for the governments, providers, and also for people.
The government also stated that based on the situation, it would reduce the lockdown required for the Covid-19 pandemic.
All retailers and e-commerce companies would be able to restart their businesses after the final announcement of the central and state governments.
E-commerce Essential Items - State plans for resuming the delivery
Earlier, MHA had allowed e-commerce companies to resume all their operation. They maintained that state governments will give the final approval of e-commerce deliveries.
State governments will decide which areas can serve to secure compliance with rules of social distancing.
Following the order of MHA, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu permitted delivery of essentials and non-essential items from April 20th, 2020.
While Haryana, Karnataka, and Telangana are thinking to do so this week. Karnataka’s deputy chief minister C N Ashwath Narayan stated that work from home has become a norm. The demands for laptops, chargers, and other essential devices and products have increased.
Thus, it's important for e-commerce companies to resume their services for useful working.
Although, Maharashtra reviewed the list of essential items to include medicine, groceries, foods, electrical and electronic appliances that came back following MHA’s revised report.
Trade association of information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing industry NASSCOM also appealed to the central government to resume e-commerce works completely.
DPIIT’s will discuss what composes essential and non-essential goods for people in this lockdown. Based on the decision, it’s hoped that e-commerce companies may be able to supply the needs of quarantined people.
Also, permitting e-commerce companies for operations would be a great step to secure the economy.
