Indian logistics firm Blue Dart has adopted what3words’ addressing system enabling retailers to add a three-word address field for customers at checkout, so couriers can make precise deliveries to any 3m x 3m square, and offer a seamless last mile service.
Customers can also add their what3words address in the address section of the ‘My Blue Dart’ App, Blue Dart website and On the Move (OTM) platform enabling them to specify exactly where they want their deliveries to go, whether that’s a front door, specific apartment complex entrance, or a tucked-away side passage.
Complex delivery in India
According to what3words, in India addresses are as practice slotted under pin codes, which are associated with delivery post offices. These cover very broad areas with the chances of street names being duplicated or incorrect. “This makes it difficult for customers to specify precisely where a delivery needs to be made, and for delivery drivers to find exactly where they need to go,” the company noted. “These are issues what3words has been designed to solve.”
what3words has divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and given each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. For example, “swimmer.kindness.habits” is the what3words location for Blue Dart head office in Andheri, Mumbai. It’s an easy way to find, share and navigate to precise locations, anywhere in the world.
The technology is also available offline and in 54 languages including 12 South Asian languages: Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Nepali, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Odia.
About Blue Dart
Blue Dart offers secure and reliable delivery of consignments to more than 55,400 locations in India. As part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s DHL eCommerce Solutions division, Blue Dart accesses the largest express and logistics network worldwide, covering over 220 countries and territories, and offers an entire spectrum of distribution services including air express, freight forwarding, supply chain solutions, and customs clearance.
Ketan Kulkarni, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Dart, said: “Given the customer centricity values that Blue Dart carries, we partnered with what3words to stand true to our brand commitment of customer convenience and delight. The three-word addressing will not only provide a seamless last mile delivery but will also increase delivery efficacy by reaching the precise location as specified by the customer. We believe that as the use of what3words grows, it will provide a unique way for us to deliver to specific locations, particularly in areas with informal addresses.”
“Ideal technology”
Chris Sheldrick, Co-Founder and CEO of what3words added: “what3words is the ideal technology for deliveries in a market like India where addressing is complex and often inaccurate. Our partnership with Blue Dart means that anyone, no matter how hard their home might be to find, can ensure their deliveries will go to the right place.”
what3words began operations in India in 2019 and is now available in many automotive navigation systems built by Mahindra, TVS Motor, Triumph Motorcycles, Tata Motors and Mercedes-Benz. Companies such as Imagine Online, Nirmalaya, TWF Flours, Evocus H2O and Dorje Teas have also adopted the technology so their customers can input what3words addresses into their checkouts for deliveries.
Furthermore, DriveU, one of India’s largest driver aggregator platforms, uses what3words so drivers and riders can save precise drop-off and pick-up locations.
