Amazon to add 11 new fulfillment centers ahead of festive sales

In a bid to gear up for annual festive season sales, ecommerce giant Amazon has announced the plan to launch 11 new fulfillment centers in India. 

The move comes in addition to the ongoing expansion of nine existing centres and is set to expand the storage capacity of Amazon India's fulfillment network to more than 43 million cubic feet – an increase of nearly 40%.  

“With the increased storage capacity of 43 million cubic feet, we will continue to seamlessly cater to the growing demand of our customers, while offering a better experience with wider selection and faster delivery,” Akhil Saxena, Amazon’s VP of customer fulfilment operations in APAC, MENA & LATAM, said in a statement. 

“This expansion will also provide a fillip to the ancillary businesses who support us including those involved in packaging, logistics, and transportation, amongst others, while creating meaningful work opportunities across the country,” he added. 

The new and upgraded facilities are located in Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, Assam, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, Amazon said.  

A few will become operational ahead of the Prime Day sale starting July 26, while the remaining will open ahead of the festive season sale, which happens around October. 

Once all the centers are up and running, the Jeff Bezos-founded company will have more than 60 fulfillment centres and 25 specialized sites dedicated to Amazon Fresh across India.  

By 2025, the conglomerate plans to bring 10 million MSMEs online, enable ecommerce exports worth $10 billion, and create 1 million additional jobs in India. 

Last week, it also opened the first Digital Kendra in Surat, a dedicated center to help small businesses understand the value of ecommerce and sign up as a seller on the platform.