Amazon India has announced plans to expand its Ashray network of rest centres for delivery drivers to 250 facilities across the country by the end of 2026, with 50 new centres slated to open by the end of May. The company made the announcement on Friday, May 8, 2026.
The expansion adds 150 centres to the existing network of approximately 100 Ashray Centres across 16 cities, including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai. The move comes as the India Meteorological Department has warned of above-normal temperatures between May and June, with heightened heatwave probability across large parts of north and central India.
Each centre is equipped with air-conditioned seating, drinking water, electrolytes, mobile charging points, clean washrooms, first-aid kits, and dedicated rest spaces. Crucially, access is not restricted to Amazon’s own delivery partners. The facilities are open to all delivery drivers, including those affiliated with other platforms.
Amazon is also rolling out mobile Ashray units, air-conditioned vans positioned along busy delivery routes, that bring hydration, rest spaces, and charging facilities directly to drivers in high-demand zones without requiring them to travel to fixed centres.
“Ashray was built on a simple idea that every delivery driver, whether they deliver for Amazon or not, deserves a clean and cool place to rest during their workday. Scaling to 250 centres and taking these facilities directly to delivery drivers through our mobile units is a reflection of that commitment,” said Salim R. Memon, Director of Operations at Amazon India.
The expansion is part of Amazon’s broader Rs 2,800 crore investment in safety, health, and well-being measures across its operations network. The company is partnering with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Udyasa Foundation, and Rural Education and Development (READ) India to set up the new centres.
The announcement comes at a time when last-mile delivery worker welfare has become a flashpoint in India’s gig economy, with rising scrutiny on platform companies over heat stress, working hours, and protective infrastructure. With the Centre having just notified final rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020, requiring aggregators to register gig workers on a central portal and contribute to a national social security fund, employer-led welfare infrastructure like Ashray is moving from a CSR talking point to a competitive baseline.
