Mangaluru: Across the world, as most businesses were forced to close and employees asked to work from home as a result of the coronavirus, e-commerce startups that provided essential services became an essential resource for survival.
In the US, Amazon hired as many 1 lakh new employees and in Indian metros cities, we saw grocery delivery companies like Big Basket make a killing during the lockdown. Even food delivery companies like Swiggy and Zomato started grocery delivery and pick up and drop services.
Although Mangalore is a Tier 2 city, it has its fair share of e-commerce startups who stepped up to serve the public in these challenging times.
One such startup is MyRoadrunner. Started in March 2016 by Prince Pinto and Michelle Pinto, My Roadrunner has partnered with the Deputy Commissioner’s Office to deliver everything — from medicines and groceries to pandemic essentials like masks and sanitizer during the lockdown and after.
MyRoadRunner was perfectly positioned to serve during the Lockdown:
When the lockdown was announced, Prince and Michelle realized that My Roadrunner was perfectly positioned to serve the people of Mangalore. As an existing and flourishing online delivery app, they could ensure zero-contact delivery and follow proper safety measures to deliver essentials to people all over Mangalore.
“We made sure that our delivery boys had high-quality masks and we educated them about the precautions to take while delivering essentials”, says Prince Pinto. “No matter what the situation, people need groceries and medicines. If there is an elderly person at home or if someone is at risk because of some underlying condition, it was best not to step out then or now for that matter. That is where My Roadrunner made a really make a big difference with our doorstep delivery.”
The app also added a doctor-on-call feature recently to ensure that people have access to telemedicine. “People are very worried to go to hospitals right now. But at least for the first consultation, they don’t need to,” says Michelle. “In the app, our customers can simply book an appointment and speak to a doctor without stepping out of the house.” Apart from this, the My Roadrunner pick up and drop service which was already popular with its customers before the pandemic started, has proved to be very useful at this time.
A pandemic in digital India
My Roadrunner proved to be immensely popular with Mangaloreans once the lockdown was imposed. “We had over 20,000 downloads in the lockdown weeks and we’re seeing more people placing orders than ever before even now,” says Prince. “Michelle and I feel privileged to be able to serve our hometown in this difficult time. But the real heroes of the story are our delivery boys. They are the ones who are going and risking themselves in the service of the citizens of Mangalore.”
In many ways, as citizens, we are fortunate to have services like My Roadrunner available to us. At times like this, they prove to be lifesavers. With every indication that lockdowns will continue to happen until the virus is completely under control, apps like My Roadrunner will prove to be a great service to us all.
