Mysore/Mysuru: The economic impact of the Covid-19 second wave has started taking a toll on many sectors. While the pandemic has decimated jobs and placed millions of livelihoods at risk, courier and parcel service sector is one such business that has been hit hard.

Earlier, consumers were mostly sending and receiving commodities through courier services, but now due to the pandemic, except for medicines, the demand has decreased substantially. Industry insiders state that ever since the ‘COVID Curfew’ was declared, the business is down to nearly 50 percent.

Other than big names such as DHL Express, FedEx and Blue Dart Express, courier industry in India is cluttered with many small unorganised participants who have gained trust of the customers over the years.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Uday, Senior Manager (Operations) of Professional Courier Services said, “Again, the pandemic has hit hard on us. We have to bear our expenses including paying rents and salaries. Other e-commerce businesses might be doing good, but our business is drastically down. In spite of this, 100 percent of our staff are working honestly with us. Even during lean months, we have been paying full salaries for them. Moreover, in spite of this issue, we have not increased courier and parcel service charges. Thankfully, we have our own vehicles and hence need not depend upon other modes of transportation. We have a total of 24 collection centres in Mysuru. Our boys are still picking up parcels and delivering them as earlier.”

N. Manjunath of Aramex courier and package delivery company also expressed the same opinion. “The Government has allowed operations of courier and parcel services so that companies are able to send and receive documents at a time when the region is under lockdown. 

In spite of that, people at present are not using parcel services, except for sending medicines and health related commodities. At present, we are not thinking about our profit and losses. In recent times, cost of cargo flights has dramatically increased, yet we have not increased our shipping prices, he said.