With approximately 400 sq km of area and a population of 2,00,000, Majuli Island might be the largest river island in the world but in terms of choice of and access to consumables, it remained a tier IV town in India. Until just two years ago, basic necessities like schoolbooks, laptops, and shoes were hard to find in Majuli. It didn’t help that the island is connected to the mainland only via ferries, making even last mile deliveries into the island a logistical nightmare for most ecommerce players.
But all of that changed in 2016 when Rupak Chandan – then a graphic designer and publisher – discovered the Amazon Service Partner Program, an Amazon India program that facilitates deliveries to tier III and IV towns with the help of local logistics & transportation entrepreneurs. Rupak decided to partner with Amazon to bring the convenience and choice of ecommerce to Majuli Island and over 20 other PIN codes in and around Jorhat, the second largest city in Assam.
People in Majuli shop online
Rupak’s company delivers an average of 40-50 orders per day in Majuli alone. Along with transforming the lives and shopping carts of Majuli residents, Rupak’s business too has grown manifold. In just two years since joining the Amazon Service Partner Program, Monica Enterprises now employs more than 50 delivery boys and works out of a 2000 square feet office space in Jorhat
'We have never missed a single delivery commitment'
Come rain or sunshine, the company upholds Amazon’s culture of customer obsession against all odds. Rupak says, “Monsoons are the hardest. Ferry service to Majuli is limited and we quickly run out of time on our daily delivery schedules.” But Rupak and his team are unstoppable. Throughout monsoon, they continue to do multiple ferry and boat rides everyday. In their two years in service, he says, "We are working hard for every single delivery commitment in Majuli."
Rupak is very proud of the way he has singlehandedly managed to grow his business, generate employment for delivery boys, and transform the lives of Majuli residents. He beams, “To the world, Majuli is the largest river island. But to me, it has been the Island Of Opportunity.”
