DPIIT Restarts Ecommerce & Trade Control Room To Monitor Supply Of Essential Commodities

With rising Covid-19 cases and curfew-like restrictions across the country, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has restarted a control room to ensure the smooth running of the supply chain of essential commodities.

In 2020, when India was hit with the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, followed by a nationwide lockdown, DPIIT launched a control room. The control room was aimed at monitoring the supply chain of essential commodities in real-time. It ensured that the transportation and delivery of essential items didn’t face any disruption amid the lockdown.

Yet again, amid the cases surging across the country, the DPIIT issued a statement that it will work with states and union territories, by monitoring the transportation and distribution of goods as well as raw material resources.

DPIIT has also issued emergency contacts, in case any of the stakeholders face a supply chain issue.

DPIIT said that any manufacturing, transporter, distributor, wholesaler or ecommerce company, facing ground level difficulties in transport and distribution of goods or mobilisation of resources can inform this department so that it can take timely action.

Any of these companies can send their grievances via email to ‘[email protected]’ or reach out on 011-23063554 or 011-23060625. Notably, DPIIT officials are available on the call from 9 AM to 9 PM.

Similar to the yesteryear control room, DPIIT will register complaints received on these numbers and redirect them to the concerned state departments. The system aims to ensure quick actions so that the delivery of essential commodities isn’t impacted.

The DPIIT has also urged various industry associations to register the complaints on behalf of them if the trade has been impacted on the ground level.

Last year, several new-age ecommerce companies such as BigBasket and Grofers, who were delivering essential products such as groceries, had reported that they were facing disruptions in their operations. In some instances, delivery partners were stopped and beaten by police, while law enforcement agencies also locked down warehouses in a few cities.

With the rise of quick commerce in the country, one of the more enduring themes of 2021 was the rush for express hyperlocal services. With the curbs in place, startups such as Zepto, BlinkIt, Dunzo, Swiggy, Ola, among others are going to take prominence in the next few weeks. Not just the last-mile ecosystem, but the control room will also be enabling an efficient supply chain across sourcing for manufacturing.