Amazon launches first-of-its-kind floating store in India; check details

Amazon India has set sail on Dal Lake in Srinagar with the country's first-ever floating 'I Have Space' store. This adds to Amazon's delivery network. Murtaza Khan Kashi runs a houseboat named Selec Town, and has decided to become a 'I Have Space' partner for Amazon's deliveries on and around Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake.

This new store will serve residents and businesses on Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake. Previously, they had to paddle their way to the shores by shikaras or depend on nearby shops to pick up their Amazon packages. Using Selec Town as the base, Murtaza will personally deliver packages to the doorsteps of the customers every day.

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Dr. Karuna Shankar Pande, Director of Amazon Logistics, India, expressed enthusiasm about this exciting new addition to their delivery network. He said, "We are thrilled to onboard India's first floating 'I Have Space' store on Dal Lake, Srinagar. This will enable us to provide customers across Srinagar with reliable, efficient, and faster deliveries. This also reaffirms our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for individuals and introducing new capabilities to empower our delivery network."

Murtaza said, "While I have a houseboat as my primary business, it only brings in seasonal income from tourists in Srinagar. However, the cost of managing the houseboat is very high, which has made it very difficult for our family. To address increasing expenses, I began looking for additional income opportunities. It was then that I came across Amazon's 'I Have Space' program, which allows local store owners like me to supplement our regular income by delivering packages to Amazon customers. I saw this as the right fit for me to utilize my free time, use my shikara to deliver packages to Amazon customers, and also earn additional income."

The 'I Have Space' program was launched in 2015 and it partners with local stores and business owners to deliver products to customers within a 2 to 4 kilometers radius of their store. Amazon claims that it has over 28,000 neighborhood and kirana partners across close to 420 towns and cities in India.

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