Amazon CEO in India; Seeks to expand Amazon Now to 300 cities for "largest minutes-delivery network" in the country
Mumbai, June 24
Amazon plans to build the country's largest delivery-in-minutes network by expanding its ultra-fast service, Amazon Now, to more than 300 cities across India. The expansion aims to scale up specialized fulfillment infrastructure to offer tens of thousands of products delivered within minutes or a few hours.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy highlighted the rapid growth of the micro-fulfillment model during his visit to a facility in Mumbai.
"It's our fastest-growing ecommerce business unit in India and we're expanding to 300+ cities as part of our plan to build the country's largest delivery-in-minutes network. And what we've learned building it here is now helping us scale it across the U.S. and around the world," Jassy said.
The quick-commerce segment has emerged as the fastest-growing e-commerce business unit in the history of the company's India operations. According to a company statement, order volumes for the service doubled every quarter since its official launch. The service is currently available to over 50 million customers across 15 metro and non-metro cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Amritsar, and Kochi.
"Great to be in India and visit an Amazon Now micro-fulfillment center in one of the busiest areas of Mumbai," Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated on X.
"The things you need quickly--groceries, shampoo, baby products, and more--get picked and delivered just minutes after ordered. Customers are loving it... Prime members triple their shopping frequency once they start using it, and we've seen orders double every quarter since launch," Jassy stated.
The company plans to increase its network of micro-fulfillment centers and urban fulfillment centers to accommodate a broader selection of daily essentials. The expanded inventory will include groceries, fresh produce, frozen food, personal care items, fashion, beauty products, small appliances, and home utilities. Aside from ultra-fast deliveries, the infrastructure upgrade will support the delivery of one million products within the same day and four million products by the next day.
Alongside the logistics expansion, the company announced 'Sammaan', a dedicated welfare program for tens of thousands of delivery associates within its Indian logistics network. The initiative receives funding from a recently announced USD 300 million investment allocated for operations and associate well-being. The program includes educational scholarships for the children of associates, financial inclusion programs, comprehensive insurance coverage, and on-road safety measures.
"Amazon Now is the fastest-growing ecommerce business unit in Amazon India's history with orders having doubled every quarter since launch," Samir Kumar, Country Manager, Amazon India, said in a statement.
"We are seeing a great response from customers. We have further accelerated our expansion and will offer ultra-fast deliveries to customers in over 300 cities of India," Kumar said.
The welfare program also outlines the expansion of air-conditioned 'Ashray' rest centers to 250 locations across the country this year. These rest facilities remain open to any delivery driver in the logistics industry, regardless of their company affiliation.
"None of this is possible without our delivery associates who are at the heart of our ecommerce and quick commerce business, and I am excited as we launch 'Sammaan', a dedicated program focused on delivery associate welfare," Kumar stated.
"It is our promise that as we grow faster, the people powering that speed grow with us, with better health and wellness, education support for their families, and a safer working environment every day," Kumar added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a Prime member in Mumbai, I've used Amazon Now for emergency groceries and it's legit—sometimes things arrive in under 10 minutes. But my concern is the pressure this puts on delivery partners. The 'Sammaan' program sounds good on paper, but we need to see real implementation. Wishing the associates proper air-conditioned rest stops and fair wages, not just flashy press releases.
Interesting how Amazon is now copying the quick-commerce model that Indian startups like Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart pioneered. The irony isn't lost on me. But if it means better coverage in smaller cities like the one I grew up in, I'm all for it. More competition = better prices and service for us consumers. 🇮🇳
50 million customers already using it in 15 cities and they're going to 300? That's a 20x expansion! But I worry about kirana stores losing more business. Yes, we want convenience, but our local shopkeepers are the backbone of Indian retail. Maybe Amazon could partner with local stores instead of building all these new fulfillment centers? Just a thought. 💭
Jammu & Srinagar mentioned? They said non-metro cities like Amritsar and Kochi—I hope they cover the Northeast and Kashmir too. People in those regions often get the worst delivery times. Also, that ₹300 million for welfare sounds huge, but divided across tens of thousands of associates, it's not that much per person. Hope it's genuine.
"Prime members triple
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