Amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, the online grocers and pharmacies BigBasket, MedLife, Grofers and Starquik have up their hiring game to fulfil deliveries of essential items as the demand has seen an unprecedented spike.

India’s biggest delivery brands need experienced riders, so pick up your phone immediately and call us, said a message sent by a job portal to workers in the restaurant industry. The portal reflected brands like BigBasket, MedLife, Grofers and Starquik who were looking to hire riders and pickers for both part-time and full-time positions.

According to the portal, these businesses are looking for 800 riders and will offer them Rs 50 per delivery, and 500 pickers with salaries starting from Rs 16,800 per month. After they are selected, the companies will arrange curfew passes to operationalize their services.

"We want to address the daily needs of workers who are out of jobs... but this is voluntarily from the workers side," said Amit Roy, a management committee member of the National Restaurant Association Of India.

Grofers is looking to hire an existing idle semi-skilled workforce and BigBasket is looking to offer jobs to those laid off due to the Covid-19 lockdown. BigBasket has also partnered with the NRAI and Retail Association of India to offer jobs to those laid off due to the lockdown.

For e-grocers and e-commerce firms including Amazon, Flipkart, Jumbotail and Dunzo, hiring on-ground staff has been the biggest challenge after migrant workers fled to their native places from various states due to the ongoing lockdown.

Amidst the news of job cuts and pay cuts during the crisis, this is a positive development highlighting how some of the job losses could be redeemed by job creation in the online delivery sector.