In an inspiring move blending corporate responsibility and community welfare, skincare brand The Derma Co. has partnered with quick-commerce leader Zepto to provide essential summer skincare products to Zepto’s delivery partners in Jaipur. This collaboration acknowledges the critical role these individuals play in keeping the city’s fast-paced delivery ecosystem alive while battling extreme desert temperatures daily.
As the mercury rises in Jaipur, where summer heat routinely crosses 45°C, the city’s delivery partners continue to brave the blazing sun. They crisscross neighborhoods on bikes and scooters, ensuring thousands of households receive groceries, medicines, and essentials on time. With direct and prolonged exposure to heat and pollution, their skin takes a severe toll, leading to sunburn, dehydration, rashes, and long-term dermal damage.
Recognizing this occupational hazard, The Derma Co. and Zepto have designed a purposeful initiative to protect and uplift the individuals who form the backbone of hyperlocal logistics.
Prioritizing Skin Health in a Harsh Climate
The Derma Co., a brand known for science-backed skincare solutions, curated a summer essentials kit for Zepto’s delivery workforce. These kits include broad-spectrum sunscreen, hydrating facial cleansers, and cooling gels designed to combat sun damage and skin irritation.
“Our goal goes beyond selling skincare—we want to build real impact where it matters most,” said Snigdha Anand, VP – Marketing at Honasa Consumer Limited, the parent company of The Derma Co. “Through our partnership with Zepto, we’re proud to help the delivery partners who work tirelessly in challenging weather conditions. They deserve care, protection, and appreciation.”
The Derma Co. didn’t limit the initiative to product distribution. They also educated delivery partners on skincare routines that help prevent sun damage, preserve hydration, and maintain long-term skin health. The company’s dermatology team provided simple guidelines that fit easily into a delivery partner’s hectic daily schedule.
Zepto Doubles Down on Delivery Partner Welfare
Zepto, a pioneer in 10-minute deliveries, has consistently highlighted its commitment to the welfare of its workforce. Over the past year, Zepto introduced a range of initiatives aimed at creating a safer, more humane work environment for its delivery fleet.
“We’re committed not just to fast deliveries, but also to the safety and wellbeing of those who make them happen,” said Vikas Sharma, Chief Operating Officer at Zepto. “Every Zepto store has a designated rest area for delivery partners—with drinking water, hydration-focused refreshments, washrooms, and charging ports. Our partnership with The Derma Co. helps us take this one step further by protecting our partners during the harsh summer months.”
Zepto didn’t treat this collaboration as a PR exercise. The operations team worked closely with The Derma Co. to identify peak exposure hours, high-risk routes, and areas with inadequate shelter. They created a tailored distribution strategy to ensure every delivery partner received the skincare essentials before hitting the road during peak heat hours.
Jaipur: The Ideal Starting Point
Jaipur, with its semi-arid desert climate, experiences some of the most brutal summers in northern India. Delivery personnel in this city face unique challenges: scorching pavement temperatures, dry winds that chap the skin, and prolonged hours without shade. Zepto and The Derma Co. chose Jaipur as the launchpad for their partnership to address this acute need.
While cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru battle humidity, Jaipur’s dry heat carries different risks—excessive dehydration, UV radiation, and airborne dust particles that further irritate exposed skin. The initiative, therefore, tailored its kits specifically for this climate: water-based sunscreens that don’t leave residue, non-comedogenic cleansers, and gel-based hydration solutions.
Delivery partners received product demonstrations, short wellness talks, and written guides in Hindi to maximize product utility and adoption.
Delivery Partners React with Gratitude
For the hundreds of delivery partners in Jaipur, the gesture brought not just physical relief but emotional validation. Many described the initiative as the first time a company acknowledged the environmental stress they endure daily.
Ajay Kumar, a Zepto delivery partner, shared his experience. “We start early and ride till late afternoon. The heat gets worse every year, and sometimes my skin burns and peels. Getting sunscreen and hydration products—it shows someone actually cares. It’s not just about packages anymore.”
Another partner, Ramesh Singh, echoed the sentiment. “I used the gel and face wash after my shift. It felt good. We never expect anything like this. It helps us believe we matter.”
Zepto’s on-ground staff ensured proper communication and helped partners understand the importance of skincare protection—not as luxury, but as necessity.
Building a Culture of Responsibility
The collaboration between The Derma Co. and Zepto signals a broader shift in how leading brands engage with gig economy workers. Traditionally, these workers remain invisible to consumer brands despite being key links in the delivery value chain. By directly investing in their well-being, both companies have set an example of inclusive stakeholder care.
Snigdha Anand emphasized the need for such meaningful engagement. “Skincare shouldn’t be a privilege. Everyone deserves protection from the sun—especially those exposed to it the most. Our collaboration proves that business goals and community care can go hand in hand.”
Zepto plans to monitor the feedback from Jaipur and replicate this initiative across other high-temperature cities like Ahmedabad, Nagpur, and Delhi in the coming months. By using Jaipur as a model, they can scale operations efficiently while retaining the personalized approach that made the initiative successful.
The Road Ahead: Beyond Summer
Though the current initiative targets summer heat, both companies hinted at broader plans for year-round support. Zepto and The Derma Co. are exploring winter skincare kits for cities where cold winds chap the skin and cause dryness. In addition, they aim to introduce periodic wellness days, including eye care, hydration drives, and even mental health workshops for frontline workers.
Vikas Sharma noted, “Our teams work hard under intense pressure. We need to move from transactional engagement to transformational care. This initiative is just the start.”
By proactively addressing the real-world needs of their workforce, Zepto and The Derma Co. show that brand responsibility doesn’t end with the consumer—it extends to everyone who helps the brand function effectively.
Conclusion: Small Actions, Big Impact
In a city like Jaipur, where the sun shows no mercy, this initiative feels like an oasis. It reminds both consumers and corporations that real heroes—delivery partners, riders, logistics staff—deserve dignity, protection, and care. The Derma Co. and Zepto didn’t just hand out products—they handed out empathy.
Their partnership demonstrates how meaningful collaborations can improve lives, create lasting brand value, and transform working conditions in sectors that often go unnoticed. As the sun blazes on, Jaipur’s delivery fleet now rides with a little more confidence, protected by the thoughtfulness of two brands that chose to care.