'Respect' govt decision on sale of non-essential goods: Flipkart

Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy has said the company respects the government's decision to reverse its previous order that allowed e-commerce companies to deliver non-essential items.

In a mail to employees, Krishnamurthy also encouraged them to explore innovative ways to drive value for the ecosystem including sellers, brands, kirana stores and customers.

"We respect the decision because the government has many complex scenarios to manage while protecting more than a billion people in the country," Krishnamurthy said.

Four days after allowing e-commerce firms to also deliver non-essential items such as electronic goods and readymade garments, the government on Sunday said sale of non-essential items will continue to be prohibited during the lockdown period till May 3.

"With this development, changes our plans at the Flipkart group, the entire leadership and the management team is completely aligned and committed to supporting the government's decision...," Krishnamurthy said.

He added that the company will continue to deliver groceries and essentials to customers across the nation, adding that it will do so while following the highest standards of hygiene across supply chain and last mile delivery.

Krishnamurthy urged employees to focus on "exploring new innovative ways to drive value for our ecosystem of sellers, brands, partners, kiranas and customers" and asserted that there is nothing online or offline.