Flipkart suspends services as India lockdown impedes online grocery deliveries

Flipkart, whose services include grocery deliveries, did not say how long the suspension would last. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: Walmart Inc's Flipkart has suspended services, a notice on the Indian e-commerce firm's website said on Wednesday, as India began a 21-day lockdown to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the lockdown from Tuesday midnight, but a federal government advisory suggested exempting e-commerce deliveries of essentials such as food and medical equipment in addition to grocery stores and banks.