top of page
Search
Writer's pictureupdatedtechforall
May 3, 20202 min read

Lockdown 3.0: You can buy smartphones, laptops but here’s the fine print

Lockdown 3.0: You can buy smartphones, laptops but here’s the fine print


The government hasn’t clarified whether brick-and-mortar stores can also start selling phones as well as laptops in green zones.


E-commerce platforms can resume the sale of non-essential goods, including smartphones, laptops and personal computers, even after the government extended the lockdown by another two weeks after May 4 amid the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

The Union ministry of home affairs issued guidelines for activities, which will be permitted and prohibited in varying degrees, across India’s red, orange and green zones to gradually allow businesses and individuals to resume their normal life.

However, there are some conditions which apply to the sale of smartphones and other such electronic goods online. The government hasn’t clarified whether brick-and-mortar stores can also start selling phones as well as laptops in green zones.

The sale of non-essential items through e-commerce platforms will only be allowed in those areas which have no or fewer cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to the MHA guidelines.

So, they will be able to deliver non-essential items only in those areas that have been marked under orange and green zones.



You can now buy smartphones, laptops and other non-essential items online in lockdown but there is a catch


The Ministry of Home Affairs has allowed e-commerce platforms to sell non-essential items in orange and green zones during the Lockdown 3.0.




HIGHLIGHTS


  • The government has allowed e-commerce platforms to sell non-essential items.

  • Non-essential items can only be delivered in orange and green zones.

  • You can buy phones and laptops from online marketplaces .


The Indian government has once again extended the lockdown amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country but this time, there’s some good news for tech consumers. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed e-commerce platforms to start selling non-essential items during the third lockdown, which means we could be able to shop for new smartphones, laptops and other electronic items. However, conditions apply in this case.

According to the MHA guidelines, the sale of non-essential items via e-commerce platforms will only be allowed in those areas where the COVID-19 cases are non-existent or sparse. The government states that e-commerce platforms will be able to deliver non-essential items only in those areas that have been marked under orange and green zones. For red zones, the restrictions still apply, which means if you are in Delhi under a red zone, you won’t benefit from anything.

That said, the MHA says that postal and courier services will be active in all areas.

With the delivery of non-essential items allowed, it would benefit those who had been wanting to shop for a new phone or a laptop. Earlier in April, the government allowed delivery of essential items via e-commerce platforms but non-essential items were still banned. Hence, Amazon and Flipkart stopped sales of smartphones and laptops.



5 views0 comments

Kommentare

bottom of page