Telecom operator Vodafone Idea on Thursday announced its voice-based contactless recharge facility at retail outlets to enable customers and retailers adhere to social distancing in the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.

As retail outlets in various orange and green zones across the country start to open, Vodafone Idea is ensuring complete implementation of social distancing protocol at its stores, the company said in a statement.

"This has been made possible through Vodafone Idea's Smart Connect retailer app which allows retailers to recharge without having to hand over the phone to the customer to enter their mobile number," it said.

The customer or retailer can simply speak out the ten digit mobile number on the device and the Google voice-enabled feature will capture the command from a distance of up to ten feet, ensuring safety for both the sides.

"In order to facilitate contactless recharges, Smart Connect is now enabled with voice based recharge feature and is available at all Vodafone Idea own stores and multi-branded stores," it said.

In India, economic and business activities are now slowly restarting outside containment zones, and partial movement has resumed within states in the third phase of the lockdown.

Earlier, while announcing extension of nationwide lockdown till May 17, the government had issued guidelines permitting different sets of relaxations in green, red, and orange zones -- thus paving the way for a staggered exit while reopening the economy.

As on early Thursday, the death toll due to coronavirus pandemic stood at 2,549 while the cases had risen to 78,003 in the country.

Also, catch all the latest updates and trends on the novel coronavirus with CNBCTV18's blog.

First Published:May 14, 2020 2:06 PM IST