Flipkart activates SOS button for delivery boys after murder

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About a month ago, Flipkart delivery boy Nanjunda Swamy was murdered on duty when a customer who did not have money to receive his cash-on-delivery order slit his throat to avoid paying US$176.

Today, the company launched a safety device to protect its delivery staff. The new SOS button within the delivery app allows staff – or ‘Wishmasters,’ as Flipkart calls them – to raise an alarm in the event of an emergency.

They’re often overburdened, underpaid, battling dangerous traffic.

When triggered, the button sends SMS and email notifications alerting the hub-in-charge and other delivery staffers nearby. It needs only a working mobile network connection to activate it; no data connection is necessary.

“Flipkart Wishmasters form the backbone of our business …Ensuring their safety is a primary priority for us. Over the days following the demise of Wishmaster Nanjunda Swamy, our teams have worked relentlessly to deliver this feature in less than a month – in order to ensure our field staff is safe while on their delivery trips,” chief operating officer Nitin Seth said in a statement.

India’s startup and ecommerce boom has seen thousands of young men take up work doing deliveries, but the startups themselves have been criticized for not doing enough for their fleet. They are often overburdened, underpaid, and have to ride in risky traffic conditions.

Last year, Flipkart and Myntra were hit as logistics staff went on a strike in Mumbai, demanding better pay and working conditions.