Startup Street: Here’s how e-commerce, mobility, smartphone sectors coping with coronavirus outbreak

E-commerce giant Amazon is working to prioritise the existing orders and delivery of essential services to its customers as the nationwide lockdown to fight COVID-19 has disrupted operations and shut down supply lines.

In an exclusive interview to CNBC-TV18, Amit Agarwal, Country Head for Amazon India, said the company is working to protect sellers impacted by the lockdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put brakes on the mobility sector in the country, leaving lakhs of drivers in the lurch. Ride-sharing platform Ola, which has also suspended services for customers, has announced several initiatives to support driver partners. CNBC-TV18 caught up with Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson for Ola, and discussed about these initiatives. He also spoke about the business impact on the company due the lockdown.

Another sector that has been badly hit by the coronavirus outbreak is smartphone industry. According to Counterpoint Research, global smartphone sales tumbled 14 percent in February as the coronavirus spread across the world.

Smartphone makers are facing supply chain disruptions as more and more countries impose lockdown orders. CNBC-TV18 spoke to Nipun Marya, director, brand Strategy at Vivo India, and discussed about the impact in India and how handset makers are coping with the tough time.