Business briefs

Amazon India said it has also expanded the capacity of an existing Sort Centre to ensure faster and reliable deliveries for customer orders in Uttar Pradesh and adjoining states. *** *Lalamove expands driver partner base in Delhi by 10,000 during COVID-19 Lalamove, an on-demand logistics service provider, on Thursday said it has partnered with over 10,000 driver partners in Delhi in the last six months amid COVID-19 pandemic.

HR investment platform Firstmeridian on Thursday announced acquisition of information technology staffing company CBSI India for Rs 12 crore. CBSI and its employees will now operate as part of the Firstmeridian group, an official statement said.

*** *Soulfull witnesses 200 pc jump in e-commerce sales Kottaram Agro Foods' millet-based snacking brand Soulfull on Thursday said it has witnessed a 200 per cent rise in e-commerce sales during the lockdown months. Without sharing the absolute quantum of sales, the company said the surge was led by 'Ragi Bites Fills' which is contributing for half of the volumes, as per an official statement.

*** *Swift pilots service for low value cross border payments Financial messaging platform Swift on Thursday said it has piloted a new service for low value cross border payments. The service will enable financial institutions to provide fast and frictionless cross-border payments for small businesses and consumers, it said in a statement, adding 20 institutions are involved in the project at present.  *** *Amazon India launches new warehouse in Lucknow ahead of festive season E-commerce major Amazon India on Thursday announced the launch of its second fulfilment centre (FC) and expansion of the existing one, in Lucknow. With a storage capacity of more than 6 lakh cubic feet, these two FCs will help more than 70,000 sellers with an access to a larger customer base, a statement said. Unlike traditional warehouses, FCs are equipped with highly automated pick, pack and shipping processes to facilitate safe and timely processing of orders.   Amazon India said it has also expanded the capacity of an existing Sort Centre to ensure faster and reliable deliveries for customer orders in Uttar Pradesh and adjoining states. *** *Lalamove expands driver partner base in Delhi by 10,000 during COVID-19 Lalamove, an on-demand logistics service provider, on Thursday said it has partnered with over 10,000 driver partners in Delhi in the last six months amid COVID-19 pandemic. "Lalamove has become synonymous with local deliveries in India and we strongly believe that our driver partners have had an invaluable hand in achieving that equity among our customers. "Fully comprehending their importance and contribution, we have also continuously strived to provide easy, flexible employment opportunities to them - even during COVID-19," Rahul Kaushik, City Lead – Delhi NCR at Lalamove, said.

Despite the economic and mobility challenges, the company was able to take over 10,000 driver partners on board over the last six months in the Delhi region, strengthening its commitment towards stabilising financial capabilities and livelihoods of driver partners, he added..