Amazon sets up all-women delivery station in Gujarat, second such facility in India

E-commerce major Amazon India on Thursday said it has set up an all-women delivery station in Kadi, Gujarat - its second such facility in the country. The new all-women delivery station, operated by a delivery service partner, is part of the company's efforts towards increasing participation of women in the workforce, a statement said. Kadi is located close to 50 kilometers from Gujarat's capital Ahmedabad, with a population of close to 80,000 people.

In 2016, the company had launched its first all-women delivery station in India, with its partner in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it added. The Delivery Service Partner program is a last-mile delivery model of Amazon India, where the company works with partners to leverage their local knowledge of the community. The technological support is offered by Amazon India to facilitate deliveries.

"This first-of-its-kind station in Gujarat is completely managed and run by women across managerial and delivery associate roles. Amazon India has introduced several measures to ensure a safe workplace for women by creating awareness and building



various feedback mechanisms to address concerns through open dialogues," the statement said.

As of now, eight women have been hired for the facility. A helpline number has also been created for associates - who will deliver packages within a 2-5 km radius of the station - to dial in for any support or help needed during the day.

"Our vision is to enable women to discover meaningful career opportunities across the operations network at Amazon India. We have created more than 6,000 opportunities for women across our network where they continue to thrive and excel," Prakash Rochlani, Director, Last Mile Operations at Amazon India, said.

Amazon India said it has created opportunities for more than 200 women across its fulfilment network in the state. Recently, the company opened a delivery station, operated by a delivery service partner, in the state which is completely run and managed by transgender individuals. The company has also provided employment opportunities for former defense personnel and differently-abled individuals across its network in Gujarat.