The notification was issued on Sunday (October 9, 2022) and will be effective from October 16, 2022
A total of 314 companies such as pharmacies, BPOs, food delivery, transportation, logistics and others have been permitted to operate round-the-clock in the Delhi NCR region
340+ such applications for ease of doing business are pending with the labour department and the Delhi governor has asked to dispose of them quickly
After three years of wait, Amazon has finally been allowed to deliver its products 24×7 in Delhi NCR, an official from the Delhi Governor’s office has reportedly stated.
According to a PTI report, the ecommerce marketplace is among the 314 companies including pharmacies, BPOs, food delivery, transportation, logistics and others catering to essential commodities that can operate round-the-clock in the Delhi NCR region.
The notification was issued on Sunday (October 9, 2022) and will be effective from October 16, 2022.
Presently, Sections 14,15 and 16 of the Delhi Shops & Establishment Act, 1954 provide a guideline to shops that operate within the NCR region.
More Employment Generation
While Section 14 prevented women or under 18 people from working between 9 pm and 7 am in Delhi, Section 15 has fixed the opening and closing times for establishments and Section 16 mandated a one-day per week closing of all establishments.
The move to make some services available 24×7 is likely to boost employment and promote a business environment, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has stated.
The Delhi government is also reportedly considering more applications from businesses to operate round the clock. The governor has further asked the department to develop a mechanism wherein the applications for ‘ease of doing business’ are disposed of on a priority basis.
According to some reports, 340+ applications are pending with the labour department, going as far as 2016. 18 applications from 2016, 26 applications from 2017, 83 applications from 2018, 25 applications from 2019, four applications from 2020 and 74 applications from 2021 were not processed, an official from the department told PTI.
Safety Remains a Key Concern
The application of Amazon was pending since 2018 as well. After the move to allow round-the-clock deliveries, the business of Amazon is likely to get a major boost owing to its prime delivery (one to two-day delivery model), especially within the NCR region.
India’s logistics market was worth $250 Bn in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 10-12% and Delhi NCR is one of the major hubs connecting the north-west Indian region.
While there are some firms such as Apollo Pharmacy, 24Seven and more that are operational round the clock, the move to give online deliveries (both essential and non-essential), will give a major push to Delhi NCR’s night-life as well as improve employment generation in the city. Safety and security of the employed workforce during night hours will be a pressing issue that remains unanswered.
In this matter, it looks like Delhi followed what Mumbai had done in 2021. In 2021, the Mumbai governor also allowed the 24×7 operation of online food delivery platforms, e-pharmacies, online marketplaces, and other essential services.
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