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T Gomathi, 36, a mother of two, is a familiar figure in Ramapuram, a southern suburb of Chennai, as she zips through the streets on a two-wheeler, wearing the fluorescent yellow Amazon overcoat.
She delivers parcels to customers of the e-commerce giant Amazon.in.
“I quit my job with a hi-tech company to become a delivery woman,” said Gomathi, one of the first three employees in an all-women delivery station for Amazon in Chennai. Jayasudha Balaji, 35, a mother of a seven-year-old boy, delivers in commercial areas such as DLF IT Park. “I quit my job in a private firm to become a delivery person,” she said.
The person behind the all-women delivery station, which started in March 2016, is Jamuna Rani, a mother of two.
“On the first day, we delivered 17 packets for Amazon.in; today we handle 800-900 packets daily. During festival seasons, the volume increases significantly and we engage temporary delivery associates. Our jurisdiction is to cover only areas under pincode 600089,” Rani told Business Line .
Rani used to work for a small software company, but decided to turn entrepreneur and become a Service Partner for Amazon. The e-commerce platform has another such partner in Thiruvanantha puram, said a company spokesperson. “Being in the IT field was quite stressful. I wanted to strike out on my own and approached Amazon officials, who helped me to become an entrepreneur,” said Rani. Each of her delivery women earns ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 a month. This is on a par with their menfolks. “We are getting good feedback from customers,” said Rani.
With women staff, there is less attrition. No formal education is required, but delivery women should be able to read addresses, and will be trained to use electronic scan devices, said an Amazon India spokesperson.
Rani said the delivery station routine starts at 8.30 a.m. when packets arrive from Amazon’s two sorting centres on Chennai’s outskirts. Nearly 60 per cent of the deliveries are commercial, and the rest residential. The delivery is usually done between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., she said.
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