Amazon Now targets 100 Indian cities with 1,000 MFCs

What Amazon announced and why it matters

Amazon is accelerating its quick-commerce push in India, with plans to scale its ultra-fast delivery service, Amazon Now, to 100 cities. The company said the expansion will be supported by more than 1,000 micro-fulfilment centres (MFCs), a major step-up in a segment currently led by Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart. In a conversation with NDTV Profit, Amazon India Country Manager Samir Kumar outlined the ambition: add 100 cities and build 1,000 micro-fulfilment centres. The rollout is framed as a move from limited availability in select metros to wider coverage that includes Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Amazon also positioned the effort as part of a broader strengthening of its India operations, built on its long-standing fulfilment and seller network. The push matters because quick commerce has shifted from a niche add-on to a core battleground for customer frequency, grocery baskets, and last-mile logistics scale.

Scale-up plan: cities, centres, and daily launches

Amazon’s plan calls for a large network buildout in a short time. The company said it is launching around two to three micro-fulfilment facilities a day as it expands. These centres, often referred to as dark stores in the industry, are critical to meeting delivery timelines that are measured in minutes rather than days. The scale target mentioned is more than 1,000 MFCs to support the broader city footprint. The company’s stated direction is to extend coverage beyond metros, with several non-metro locations cited as part of the rollout. This is a notable operational undertaking because speed-based fulfilment requires high inventory availability close to customers, along with disciplined picking, routing, and rider capacity.

What Amazon Now offers: 10-minute delivery positioning

Amazon Now is described as Amazon’s quick-commerce service designed to deliver products in as little as 10 minutes. The expansion is being positioned as Amazon’s direct response to other rapid delivery services in the market. The focus, as stated, is on groceries and daily-use products delivered within short time windows. One part of the provided information also notes delivery timelines of 10–20 minutes, reinforcing that the service aims to compete in the ultra-fast segment. Amazon is leaning on its existing logistics backbone, developed over years of ecommerce operations, to scale a model that depends on dense fulfilment coverage.

Where it is live and which cities are being added

The service was stated to be already live in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru. In the expansion plan, Amazon Now is expected to be rolled out in a wider set of cities, including Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. Other cities named in the rollout list include Kochi, Amritsar, Mangalore and Visakhapatnam. The direction highlighted in the information is clear: the expansion is not limited to metros and is moving into smaller cities. For users, availability is indicated via a “Now” icon on the Amazon app homepage banner.

Investment and supply chain focus

Amazon’s quick-commerce buildout is backed by an announced investment of over ₹2,800 crore. Separately, the information also cites Amazon’s plan to invest $15 billion over the next five years, described as a significant escalation in the segment. The company’s supply-side plans include support for more than 16,000 farmers through direct supply chains to provide fresh produce via Amazon Now. This suggests Amazon is building procurement and replenishment systems to keep fast-moving categories in stock at local fulfilment points. The combined logistics and sourcing focus is central to quick commerce, where customer experience depends on consistent availability and rapid dispatch.

Timeline details mentioned: pilots, launch, and expansion pace

Several time markers are provided around how Amazon Now evolved. The service is stated to have begun operations in Bengaluru in 2025 after pilot runs earlier that year. Another part of the material notes trials for Amazon Now in early 2024 and a limited launch in January-February, followed by a scale-up phase. These references point to a gradual build before the current push for scale. The operational ramp includes a facility buildout pace of two to three micro-fulfilment centres a day, indicating a fast cadence as Amazon tries to widen its footprint.

Competitive context: a crowded quick-commerce race

India’s quick-commerce market already has large scaled players, with Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto frequently cited as the dominant names. The material also references Flipkart Minutes as another scaling entrant. Amazon’s announcement signals it does not intend to concede the category and is willing to compete on infrastructure scale, delivery timelines, and coverage expansion. A key shift flagged is the move from experimentation to execution at scale, with multiple players expanding into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. This raises the stakes on operational efficiency, unit economics, and supply chain reliability.

Market impact: what this could change for customers and operations

For customers, the expansion aims to make “minutes” delivery available across a far larger set of Indian cities than before. The service’s promise of delivery within minutes depends heavily on the density and performance of micro-fulfilment centres, making the network buildout the main driver of experience. The material also notes higher engagement from users as Amazon builds its quick-commerce network. It additionally mentions that Prime users see higher shopping frequency and that free minutes delivery continues, indicating that customer retention and repeat usage are key themes. For operations, the shift beyond metros implies additional complexity across demand patterns, rider availability, and inventory planning in smaller cities.

Key facts at a glance

Why the announcement is a clear pivot to scale

The expansion plan is positioned as Amazon moving from a limited rollout to a wider, execution-driven strategy. The emphasis on micro-fulfilment centres shows that speed is being pursued through physical proximity and local inventory rather than only delivery partner expansion. The inclusion of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities signals Amazon is aiming for breadth, not just dominance in a few metros. The supply chain reference to 16,000+ farmers indicates Amazon is also working on upstream capacity that can sustain frequent grocery orders. And the investment figures cited underline that quick commerce is being treated as a high-priority category for India.

What to watch next

The rollout details indicate a near-term focus on adding cities and fulfilment capacity quickly. Key watchpoints include how rapidly Amazon Now becomes available in the named cities and how the company executes the buildout of more than 1,000 micro-fulfilment centres. Another monitorable element is how the service experience holds up as it moves beyond metros and scales grocery and daily-use categories. Amazon has said it is encouraged by early success and is accelerating expansion plans, suggesting more city and infrastructure updates could follow as the rollout progresses.