Amazon ties up with Indian Railways to transport essential items via 'COVID-19 Parcel Special Trains'; move likely to boost deliveries during lockdown

Amazon India has tied up with the Indian Railways for the transportation of consignments via ‘COVID-19 Parcel Special Trains’ across the country during the coronavirus lockdown. The move by the e-commerce giant will boost delivery of essential items during these trying times. Amazon took to its blogpost to reveal that it has entered the partnership. As per the blog, “The company is leveraging the ‘COVID-19 Parcel Special Trains’ introduced by the Indian Railways to ramp up its operations to 55 lanes during the lockdown period.” [caption id=“attachment_7283061” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AP[/caption] Amazon added that the enhanced network will enable them to ship products across the country and keep businesses running and allow people access to a more diverse range of essential products. In an interaction with NDTV, Abhinav Singh, director of Amazon Transportation Services, said that with the support of COVID-19 Parcel Special Trains they will be better able to “fulfil customers orders with enhanced speed and capacity”. Last week, Amazon launched its ‘Local Shops on Amazon’ initiative. This programme is aimed at helping customers purchase products from the local shops in their city from the convenience of their homes. It also helps shopkeepers supplement their footfalls with a digital presence and expand beyond their normal catchment during the coronavirus lockdown. Amazon India has also partnered with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to launch the “Fight Against COVID-19 #AwareIndiaSafeIndia; Digital Campaign” which will drive awareness on the importance of precautionary measures in combating COVID-19.