Great Indian Festival 2023: 65% surge in same-day deliveries

Amazon, the global e-commerce behemoth, has accelerated its delivery services in India during the ongoing festive season sale, ensuring swift deliveries for its customers. According to Akhil Saxena, Amazon’s VP of APAC, MENA, LATAM, Customer Fulfilment, and Worldwide Customer Service, this year's festive season marked a significant speed enhancement, with a 65% increase in packages receiving sub-same-day and same-day deliveries in the top 10 cities, compared to the previous year.

The initiative was part of Amazon’s "Great Indian Festival 2023," which commenced on October 8. Saxena emphasized the company’s focus on delivering goods to customers at an unprecedented speed, making this Diwali the fastest ever in terms of shipments reaching customers' homes and the time taken from order placement to delivery.

Amazon's achievement in rapid deliveries is attributed to its extensive delivery network and strategic collaborations, notably with India Post and Indian Railways. The partnership with Indian Railways, established in 2019, saw a tenfold increase in railway lanes, with 325 inter-city transportation lanes integrated into Amazon's operational network in India by 2022. Currently, nearly 100 trains transport Amazon shipments daily across the country.

Moreover, Amazon introduced Amazon Air earlier this year, utilizing two Boeing 737-800 aircraft to serve nine cities, further enhancing its delivery capabilities. To accommodate this surge in deliveries, Amazon has expanded its fulfilment centres in India to almost 43 million cubic feet, a significant increase from 0.2 million in 2013. The company also operates 2.3 million square feet of sorting centres across 19 states in the country.

This effort aligns with Amazon's recent announcement of a substantial $15 billion investment in India by 2030, raising its cumulative investment in the country to $26 billion. Saxena emphasized the importance of speed in catering to Indian customers, indicating Amazon’s commitment to making strategic investments in India’s growing market.

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