Flipkart opens delivery hub managed completely by people with disabilities

Flipkart has expanded its employee workforce diversity initiative with the opening of a new delivery hub in New Delhi to its supply chain network, which will be managed end-to-end by 50 employees with disabilities, working in various capacities, including delivery executives, cashiers, and team leaders.

Flipkart introduced the eDAB programme (Ekartians with Disabilities) in its supply chain in 2017 to provide career opportunities for people with disabilities in its supply chain. Through the eDAB initiative, the ecommerce giant aims to build awareness around the capabilities of people with disabilities while helping the existing talent work closely with these capable individuals.

Starting as a pilot through this programme, Flipkart today has over 1,019 people with disabilities across its supply chain.

ALSO READ

Ecommerce rules: NASSCOM says rationalise obligations, limit fallback liability to timely refund

According to the company, through this new effort, Flipkart aims to break stereotypes around the employability of people with disabilities and create more awareness around the capabilities of the community as they manage the hub and its operations end-to-end, making more than 1,100 deliveries every day.

Commenting on this development, Hemant Badri, Senior Vice-President and Head of Supply Chain at Flipkart, said, “Flipkart is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce and is at the forefront of leading the initiatives around inclusion and diversity in the ecommerce supply chain. As part of our continued efforts towards creating an inclusive workplace and assimilating people with disabilities into business operations, we are introducing our first delivery hub run end-to-end by people with disabilities in the capital of the country.”

According to Flipkart, it had undertaken an extensive study of the processes, roles, responsibilities and expectations for employing people with disabilities to ensure seamless operations. These include sensitisation sessions, special classroom training, and on-job training with the help of sign language interpreters and also to train new entrants and address their concerns.