Meet Naresh Pal Sharma, a Gurugram-based logistics entrepreneur who is a shining example of self-reliant India

With the logistics industry thriving for innovation, new growth opportunities in the sector have led to micro-sized businesses taking a central role in servicing Indian customers. As people continue to expect faster deliveries, companies like Amazon are strengthening all parts of their network, including their middle mile operations, which connects the fulfillment network with the delivery network. This has opened avenues for small businesses to leverage their on-ground knowledge and power the company’s ability to increase the speed of transportation between the two miles while serving as a median to connect India. 

Tapping into this opportunity, many entrepreneurs have been able to build and scale their business with Amazon; Gurugram-based Naresh Pal Sharma is one among them.

Naresh, the owner of NRS Transport Services, started his professional journey as a truck driver in 1993. Despite a near-fatal accident in 1999, he powered through hardship to provide for his family and pursued his ambition of running a trucking business. This led him to enrolling with Amazon as a partner and he quickly oriented himself to Amazon’s operational guidelines for reliable deliveries. 

His commitment resulted in success, allowing him to expand his fleet and employ close to 40 truck drivers. He says, “I know that we play an important role in transporting customer packages for an on time and safe delivery. I have a responsibility to uphold and this keeps me going. Working with Amazon India, I have truly discovered my entrepreneurial journey and to be able to help people in the process was more than I could imagine.”

The efforts of Naresh as well as his associates have not only ensured seamless deliveries but have also cemented the role of its backbone, enabling them to upscale and be self-reliant.

Abhinav Singh, Director – Amazon Transportation Services, said “Trucking partners are the backbone of our operations, powering our ability to increase the speed of transportation between fulfilment centres and the last mile. Theirs is a pivotal role in ensuring on-time deliveries and we are focussed on enabling them with cutting edge technology. In line with our commitment to aid small businesses across the country we have worked with our partners and custom built programs for them to gain financial flexibility, safe driving techniques, route knowledge, maintenance and procurement programs from large OEMs. Driver safety is our top priority, we have trained thousands of drivers this year on defensive driving, COVID safety and facility safety protocols.  We have partnered with third-party companies to provide health and accidental insurance coverage for drivers that is reimbursed by Amazon. We believe that the idea of an atmanirbhar Bharat is powered by these enterprising businesses and are proud to be empowering them.”

While these partners continue to travel the length and breadth of India, health and safety remains to be a priority. Partners and associates are following all preventative health measures such as adherence to social distancing norms and use of face covering, among 100 other measures. 

With the last year constraining operations for these trucking partners, the company introduced the Partner Support Fund that allows partners in the middle-mile to support more than 40,000 of their associates through financial hardships, and to help cover critical fixed costs and liquidity concerns. Amazon India also extended the ‘Amazon Relief Fund’ to all eligible trucking partners providing transportation support in the event of financial hardships.