Amazon India has significantly augmented its delivery network ahead of the much-awaited festive season. The e-commerce firm, which competes with Walmart-owned Flipkart and Reliance-owned Jiomart, has ramped up its delivery infrastructure and added tens of thousands of delivery partners to serve a rising customer demand during the festive season. The company has added close to 200 delivery stations, including those operated by ‘delivery service partners’ across the country to further its direct reach, including in many remote Northeastern towns like Champhai, Kolasib, Lumding and Mokokchung. “The recent expansion of our delivery programmes has collectively furthered Amazon India’s goal to improve reach and provide a fast, safe and more seamless e-commerce experience ahead of the festive season,” said Prakash Rochlani, director, last-mile operations, Amazon India. “We have worked hard to prepare our delivery network to enable safe, no-contact deliveries from all parts of the country.” The company has also strengthened delivery with its flagship ‘I Have Space’ (IHS) programme. It now comprises more than 28,000 neighbourhood stores and kiranas in close to 350 cities. Under the ‘I Have Space’ programme, Amazon India partners with local store owners to deliver products to customers within a 2- to 4-kilometre radius of their store. This allows them to supplement their regular income and generate more footfalls in their stores.
The company has also nearly doubled the reach of its Amazon Flex programme in the last four months to 65 cities in India. The programme allows delivery partners to work according to their own schedules and earn additional income between Rs 120 and Rs 140 per hour while delivering Amazon packages. Marking an increased focus on contactless deliveries, Amazon India has also introduced ‘Society pickup points’. This delivery format caters to high-density residential societies in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. This programme offers both virtual pickup points and physical locations within housing complexes. These can be selected by customers during checkout, and deliveries are consolidated on specific days of the week for the convenience of customers.
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