: City-based startup Boonbox onFriday said it would collaborate with Central and State governments to ensure supply of essential items to rural areas in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.Through its 'Mission Lifeline Bharat' initiative, the company is engaged in "re-purposing its organisation" to serve rural parts of the country amid the lockdown arising out of the virus spread.Boonbox has the capabilities can deliver products in over three lakh villages across 16 states.To begin with, Boonbox Mission Lifeline would limit its current outreach to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha.The company would ensure continuous supply of medicines, FMCG, sanitary products and rice, wheat and pulses (in rural areas), a press release said.Commenting on the initiative, Boonbox founder-CEO Ramachandran Ramanathan said, "Our last-mile reach will make it easier to streamline delivery across these regions".Boonbox is an exclusive rural-assisted commerce platform that has built last-mile distribution network especially in villages and towns with less than 20,000 population.The company has raised USD 7 million so far and has two million customers across 16 states.
