Outside a buzzing e-commerce mart hub in Marredpally here on Wednesday, a handful of delivery boys in orange wait astride their two-wheelers, phones buzzing with incoming orders. Inside, the staff rapidly sort packages of sweets, gift boxes and rakhis into bright orange delivery bags. With Raksha Bandhan just around the corner, the heart of the festive rush is no longer in the traditional markets; it’s here, in the back lanes of Hyderabad’s quick-commerce centres.
Shiva, a delivery agent waiting for his next batch of parcels, says he has seen a clear shift this year. “Every 3-4 orders out of 10 these days are rakhis,” he said, holding up a slender package with a decorative rakhi and assorted chocolates. “And this will only increase as the festival date gets closer. I have already delivered four rakhis since morning, and it is just about 2 p.m. now,” he says. The festival is on Saturday.
