MUMBAI: Mahindra Logistics Ltd. (MLL) recently signed an MoU with Bengaluru-based social enterprise 1Bridge to work together on last-mile delivery & distribution of products in rural India.
While Mahindra Logistics specializes in supply chain management and serves customers across various industries, including consumer goods and e-commerce across India, 1Bridge connects the supply side of the value chain, i.e., industry stakeholders within the consumer goods, r-commerce, fintech, etc. to the demand side of the chain – i.e., the rural consumer at the village level, through its village entrepreneurs and a technology platform.
Rampraveen Swaminathan, MD & CEO, Mahindra Logistics, said in a statement, “This collaboration will complement MLL’s logistical expertise, pan-India network and a wide customer base with 1Bridge’s presence across villages in rural India through its network of local business associates and district-level stations. We look forward to working collaboratively towards a strengthened supply chain network in rural India.”
So far, 1Bridge has its operations spread across 6,000+ villages across 65 districts in 6 states in India, viz. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. It also has a village network of 6,000+ local entrepreneurs, known as 1Bridge Advisors, who advise and execute various transactions like product origination, digital services and local deliveries to their local communities. This model has also facilitated rural employment & income generation.
Mahindra Logistics and 1Bridge have begun pilot projects in Karnataka, Maharashtra & Tamil Nadu on deliveries of consumer/home appliances and groceries. Over the next 3 years, the partners intend to build an efficient last-mile delivery capability covering over 100,000 villages in India.
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