VISAKHAPATNAM: Unable to find jobs that match their qualifications, several engineers and graduates are signing up as delivery persons at popular online food delivery platforms in the city, taking home around `900 a day.
The delivery services have become a hit in Vizag, and so the demand for delivery boys has soared.
M Mahesh, a graduate belonging to an agricultural family from Srikakulam, told TNIE he was dejected at being unable to land a job after having completed his course. Two months back, he signed up as a food delivery boy.
“I was hoping to find a bank job initially. When that didn’t work, I began giving tuition at home, but what I earned wasn’t enough to make ends meet. Then one of my friends suggested that I become a delivery boy. I was uncomfortable at first given that I am a graduate, but I told myself that it was better than sitting idle at home. It’s a job that pays me `15,000 a month for 20 days of work. As I am free by sundown, I have joined star hotel for night duty. I am happy. I can save enough to send money home,” explained Mahesh.
Most delivery boys Express spoke to said the biggest plus of the job was that they could choose to work full-time or part time.
Moreover, the companies also provide incentives to delivery boys. Some pay wages weekly.
Working full-time can fetch around `900 to 950, they say. Most delivery boys earn over `12,000 a month.
“About `30 to `50 will be credited to us for each delivery. It is of advantage to us that we needn’t work on all days. If we don’t want to work on a particular day, we can remain offline. I spend my time offline preparing for exams. I earn about ` 10,000 to 12,000 a month,” said Rupesh Kumar, a degree student from S Kota.
It is not uncommon to find delivery boys who have completed B.Tech. One among them is Vivek Kumar, an engineer from a private college in the city.
“Instead of staying idle at home, such jobs can get us about `10,000 at least a month. We do not need to depend on our parents for our expenses now. I go online in the morning. There won’t be many orders for breakfast, but by noon the number of orders peak. By 3 pm, we get some rest as the number of orders start decreasing. For dinner, I take two orders, which is mandatory, and then go home,” said Vivek Kumar.
Currently, three online food delivery agents are running in stiff competition with one another in Visakhapatnam.