Covid-19 lockdown: Uber, BigBasket partner for essential service delivery

A B2B alliance, Uber's drivers will initially help BigBasket with last-mile delivery in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Noida

Uber and BigBasket have partnered to deliver everyday essentials to people amid the ongoing nationwide Covid-19 lockdown.

A business-to-business partnership, Uber's driver partners will help BigBasket with last-mile delivery in four cities to begin with- Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Noida. More cities will be added with time.

"We are looking at similar partnerships with other e-commerce players and supermarkets to help with last mile delivery. Uber is not charging any commissions for these trips. The commission shared with the partners will be passed on fully to the driver partner, helping them to have additional earnings during these hard times," said  Prabhjeet Singh, Director-Operations and Head of Cities, Uber India & South Asia, Uber India.

The front end or booking screen for this partnership will be with the e-commerce player or supermarket, which will be able to book vehicles across UberGo (hatchback), UberXL (SUV) and UberMoto (two-wheelers) for the entire day for delivery of the goods ordered.

Uber’s association with BigBasket will comply with all hygiene and traffic regulations, and driver partners will be provided masks, gloves, sanitisers, and specialized safety training to ensure the highest possible safety and hygiene standards.

"The ongoing pan-India lockdown has led to a disruption in the supply of essential goods, primarily led by a shortage of personnel and delivery vehicles. We are very happy to partner with Uber India for this initiative and we will be utilizing a portion of their huge fleet of cars, bikes as well as personnel to help with our deliveries to fulfill customer orders. We are thankful to Uber India for helping us deliver essential goods to thousands of customers across the country and the opportunity to provide financial sustenance to many drivers and riders during this time. As a brand, we are committed to providing the best possible services to our customers and this partnership with Uber is another step towards that goal," said Lalita Aggarwal, National Process Head-Last Mile, BigBasket.

The e-commerce or supermarket partner will work with the local administration to procure the relevant passes or permits for driver partners to be able to deliver goods without any hassles.

A similar partnership was announced earlier in the day between Domino's Pizza and ITC Foods, to deliver essential grocery through Domino's app, beginning with six cities- Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad.

As the nationwide lockdown progresses and Internet-based businesses struggle because of people staying home, more such partnerships between sectors could be on their way.