DTDC Express has launched Vallam Express, a waterway-based last-mile delivery service designed to bring doorstep parcel deliveries to Kerala’s water-bound communities. The initiative has been introduced in Kuttanad, Alappuzha, where waterways are often the primary means of transportation and road access remains limited.
Kuttanad comprises 14 villages and serves around 200,000 people. DTDC expects the new service to facilitate more than 5,000 deliveries over the coming year, helping residents avoid travelling by boat to collect parcels from conventional courier collection points.
Vallam Express combines DTDC’s delivery network with the expertise of traditional local oarsmen, who understand the region’s waterways and can navigate routes that are inaccessible to road-based delivery vehicles. The model also creates additional livelihood opportunities for local communities.
The initiative takes its name and inspiration from Kerala’s Vallam Kali, the traditional snake boat race associated with speed, teamwork and community spirit. DTDC has also launched an Onam campaign around the service under the theme “When Roads End, We Ride on Water.”
Unlike a temporary seasonal initiative, DTDC intends Vallam Express to serve as a long-term delivery solution for water-bound communities. The company says the service reflects its focus on developing logistics solutions based on local geography and customer needs.
The launch demonstrates how logistics operators can adapt conventional last-mile models to challenging geographical conditions. By using Kerala’s extensive waterways, DTDC is extending doorstep connectivity to communities where traditional road-based delivery networks cannot reach efficiently.