New Delhi, May 4: India announced the extension of the nationwide lockdown by two more weeks on Saturday to May 17. Under the third phase of the lockdown, Amazon, Flipkart and other e-commerce players have started taking orders for non-essentials in green and orange zones from today. This comes as a huge relief to the players who were struggling to deliver items due to government restrictions.

While Amazon has mentioned that delivery of non-essential items has started, Flipkart on its app mentioned that it may take more time than the usual due to the restrictions already in place across the country. Amazon India, Flipkart Urge Government to Allow Delivery of Non-Essential Items During COVID-19 Lockdown, Promise to Follow Social Distancing Norms.

Here's the message from Amazon for customers in Green & Orange Zone:

However, in the red zones, the e-commerce players are delivering only essential products. For the time being, Amazon has temporarily paused return pickups and the movement of already picked up items to prioritise serving the most essential needs.

The e-comm majors have also been requesting the government for expansion of the list of essential products to include items like laptops, mobile phones and chargers as well as summer clothing to ensure people that do not have to step out of their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They claim that adding these categories in the services will help people also in the red zone to continue with their work from home and practice social distancing.

Here's the Message From Amazon for Consumers in the Red Zone:

Flipkart, on the other hand, has mentioned that deliveries may take more time than usual due to restrictions.

Amazon had recently reported that India experienced the biggest hit in their business during Covid-19. The company also claim that e-commerce is the safest way to deliver goods even during the emergency of Covid-19. Amit Agarwal, Country Head, Amazon India, recently took to Twitter said that e-commerce is the safest way to ensure social distancing and it would help in reviving MSME. He also shared an image of delivery parcels kept at a distance emphasising the importance of social distancing amid coronavirus outbreak across the globe

As the number of coronavirus cases crossed the 42,000 mark on Monday, India entered the third phase of the nationwide lockdown, but with a few relaxations mainly in the green and the orange zone starting today.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 04, 2020 01:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).