In the fast-paced world of online shopping, where the click of a button can bring products to your doorstep within days, the notion of waiting for years seems preposterous.
However, Nitin Agarwal, a tech blogger in Delhi, found himself in this bizarre situation, sparking conversations about the challenges faced by online shoppers in India.
Four-Year Wait
Mr. Agarwal’s online shopping journey took an unexpected turn when a parcel, ordered four years ago, finally arrived. The contents? Two belts for his wife and a lamp.
And although the items were in good, pristine condition, he couldn’t get the lamp to work because the batteries needed to operate it were not available in India.
Social media platforms buzzed with curiosity as users speculated about the peculiar journey of Mr. Agarwal’s parcel. In a YouTube video, he unveiled the contents and shared his astonishment at going “viral.”
Ban on AliExpress in India
The virality of Mr. Agarwal’s tweet was heightened by the context of the AliExpress ban in India since 2020. Under section 69A of the Information Technology Act, the Indian government can ban apps, foreign or local, deemed threats to national security.
Other notable apps that have been banned by India under their Information Technology Act include TikTok, Player Unknown Battle Ground (PUBG) and Shein.
On the whole situation, he added that “techies” like him depend on shopping apps such as AliExpress to source the parts and components that he needs for his electronics, which are not easily available or accessible in India.
India made the claims that the banned apps had been collecting their data and sending it to nations that they deemed “hostile”.
In his YouTube video, Mr Agarwal beseeched the government to unblock the apps as some items are not available in India and can only be sourced overseas.
Never lose hope! So, I ordered this from Ali Express (now banned in India) back in 2019 and the parcel was delivered today. pic.twitter.com/xRa5JADonK
— Tech Bharat (Nitin Agarwal) (@techbharatco) June 21, 2023