Amazon Flex to induct part-time delivery partners, scale up its operations

E-commerce major Amazon India on Thursday launched Amazon Flex, a programme under which the company would be inducting part-time delivery executives to scale up its operations within the 19,100-plus pin codes in the country.

Amazon Flex, which works through an app, will help tap into thousands of new delivery executives, who will have an opportunity to work part time to deliver packages. The company is banking on this new programme to bolster its manpower, especially, during the festive season, as the demand for riders rises at the peak season (September-January period).

Bringing in the concept of hourly wages, which is more prevalent in the US and some other countries, Amazon would be paying between Rs 120 and Rs 140 to these riders. On an average, a rider would be earning between Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000 monthly via Amazon Flex.
 

“Interested delivery partners, with two-wheelers, can sign up, choose their own schedule and deliver packages – all using the Amazon Flex app. Every delivery partner goes through a comprehensive background verification process and hands on training before they begin delivering packages. All Amazon Flex participants are also covered under a group accident policy while making deliveries,” Akhil Saxena, vice-president, Asia Customer Fulfilment, Amazon. 

Amazon Flex has launched in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi and will expand to other cities this year. The company has been relying on such initiatives to bolster its logistics network. 

Under its ‘I have space’ initiative, the firm has been able to gain access to more than 20,000 'I have space' facilities. This has helped the company create a hyperlocal delivery system.

“The company has been able to systematically bring down the time of delivering packages. ‘I have space’ warehouses are helping them speed up the delivery of its Prime Now products as well,” said a source close to the firm.

Amazon India is continuously investing in creating infrastructure in areas that might not be serviceable, now. Through its Amazon Easy initiative, it has opened more than 10,000 stores in the country where people can go and pay through cash or cards for products they buy as well as collect them from there. 

As part of reaching out to the next 100 million users, it also planning to give access to credit to new online shoppers. “As we go deeper into the country, some customers may not have credit access. So, we provide EMI options to the customers through all major debit and credit cards,” Kishore Thota, Amazon.in’s director of customer engagement said.

In April, the US e-commerce giant announced the launch of person-to-person payments for Android users. Amazon customers can make instant bank-to-bank transfers using UPI platform on the Amazon app.