National ,September 28 2020.

Amazon India today announced a significant augmentation in its delivery network ahead of the much-awaited festive season. The company has notably ramped up its delivery infrastructure and added tens of thousands of delivery partners to the network to serve the rising customer demand for 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 such as Champhai, Kolasib, Lumding and Mokokchung.

The company has also strengthened its delivery programs as well with its flagship ‘I Have Space’ (IHS) program, now comprising of more than 28,000 neighborhood and kirana  in close to 350 cities.Under the ‘I Have Space’ program, Amazon India partners with local store owners to deliver products to customers within a 2 to 4 kilometers radius of their store, allowing them to supplement their regular income and generate more footfalls in their stores.The company has also nearly doubled the reach of the  Amazon Flex program in the last four months, to now serve 65 cities in India. The growth of this program credits itself to the flexibility offered to delivery partners, allowing them to work according to their own schedules and earn supplemental income between INR 120 - INR 140 per hour, delivering Amazon packages.

Marking an increased focus on contactless deliveries, Amazon India has also introduced ‘Society pickup points’ - a delivery format that caters to high-density residential societies in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad. This program offers both virtual pickup points and physical locations within housing complexes - either of which can be selected by customers during checkout, and deliveries are consolidated on specific days of the week for convenience of customers.

Commenting on the expansion of its delivery network, Prakash Rochlani, Director, Last Mile Operations, Amazon India said, “The recent expansion of our delivery programs has collectively furthered Amazon India’s goal to improve reach and provide a fast, safe and more seamless ecommerce experience ahead of the festive season. Our goal is to ensure customers across the country are able to get what they desire this festive season from the comfort of their home, while prioritizing the safety of both our customers and delivery partners. We have worked hard to prepare our delivery network to enable safe, no-contact deliveries from all parts of the country