Amazon ramps up India quick‑commerce push

Amazon (AMZN) is expanding its presence in India’s quick‑commerce and ultra‑fast delivery market through its Amazon Now service, which focuses on 10‑minute and other rapid‑delivery formats. The initiative marks a significant step‑up in the company’s efforts to compete in on‑demand delivery for groceries and everyday essentials.

Amazon Now has grown to serve more than 65 cities and towns across India after a rapid rollout that took place over roughly ten weeks. This represents about a fourfold expansion in that short period, underscoring the pace at which Amazon (AMZN) is building its fast‑delivery footprint.

The company has set further expansion targets for Amazon Now, aiming to reach about 100 cities by Diwali. Over the longer term, its stated ambition is to extend the service to several hundred cities, signalling that quick‑commerce is becoming a core part of its India strategy.

To back the expansion of Amazon Now and related rapid‑delivery pilots, Amazon is reported to be planning substantial capital deployment into its India quick‑commerce operations. Reports indicate a planned investment of about USD 3 billion in this business by 2030.

Some accounts describe a cadence in which roughly USD 1 billion would be invested by the end of 2027, with the remaining amount to be deployed by 2030. These figures highlight the capital‑intensive nature of building out ultra‑fast delivery networks, including inventory, technology and logistics capabilities.

The investment plans align with Amazon’s broader effort to tie rapid‑delivery offerings to key retail periods in India. As the company scales Amazon Now, it is positioning quick‑commerce as a complement to its existing e‑commerce operations during major shopping seasons.

Amazon’s deeper push into fast delivery intensifies competition with established quick‑commerce platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart. These incumbents already operate dense networks designed to fulfil orders in minutes in major Indian cities.

Industry coverage and analysts indicate that these players are likely to respond to Amazon’s expansion by increasing the density of their dark‑store networks. They are also expected to step up promotional activity and adjust product assortments and pricing strategies to defend market share.

The entry of a large, well‑capitalized competitor into ultra‑fast delivery raises the stakes in India’s last‑mile logistics market. As companies race to combine selection, speed and scale, the competitive dynamics of quick‑commerce are set to evolve rapidly around the festival season and beyond.