Amazon delays orders, Flipkart suspends services, a medicine delivery agent gets beaten up by the police – day 1 of lockdown

• Not just Amazon and Flipkart, but Milkbasket, Bigbasket, Grofers have all temporarily suspended services.
• Disturbing visuals also show how a Medlife delivery agent who was out to deliver medicines was lathi charged by the police in the national capital.
• Milkbasket informed that on Monday 10,000 orders were cancelled resulting in them dumping over 15,000 litres of milk and throwing over 10,000 kgs of fruits and vegetables.
• E-commerce falls under essential services, however, delivery agents from Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Grofers, Milkbasket and others were stopped by the police on the roads.

Amazon users across India got notifications that their orders have been delayed, while Flipkart suspended services temporarily as delivery agents continued to be hassled by the police for venturing out during lockdown.

Not just Amazon and Flipkart, but Milkbasket, Bigbasket, Grofers have all temporarily suspended services.

Disturbing visuals also show how a Medlife delivery agent who was out to deliver medicines was lathicharged by the police in the national capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a 21-day lockdown across the country. He urged that essential services should remain open. E-commerce falls under essential services, however, delivery agents from Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Grofers, Milkbasket and others were stopped by the police on the roads. Some have also been arrested.

In an app notification to its users, Milkbasket informed that on Monday 10,000 orders were cancelled resulting in them dumping over 15,000 litres of milk and throwing over 10,000 kgs of fruits and vegetables.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a guideline which states that ration shops will continue to stay open. Shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, will stay open. However district authorities may encourage and facilitate home delivery to minimize the movement of individuals.

The order also stated that e-commerce will remain operational for delivery of essential goods. A direct order is necessary from the government about e-commerce operationality.

The e-commerce services are now working with the government to ensure that the orders given are actually followed by the police on ground. According to reports, e-commerce players have also approached the Prime Minister’s office requesting the movement of delivery agents.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has also written to the central government to continue the supply of essential goods, including e-commerce services.

In Telangana, IT Minister KT Rama Rao said that he has already directed the IT secretary to ensure e-commerce players restart operations


Thousands of orders across the country had to be cancelled or were delayed because of this issue. This, at a time when people are stuck inside their homes and rely on these apps to deliver essential goods at their doorstep.

See Also:
People fight over milk and onions as India goes into a 21-day lockdown – Modi urges people to stay calm
Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato fall under ‘essential services’ but their delivery agents are being stopped by the police