Amazon Expands ‘Project Ashray’ with 40 New Rest Centres, Targets 100 by Year-End

Amazon India continues its commitment to delivery partners with the big expansion of Project Ashray, announcing 40 more rest centres across the country in partnership with HPCL. These Ashray centres offer air-conditioned seating, clean water, charging stations, washrooms, and first-aid kits. Now, with 65 centres in 13 cities (including 24 in Delhi-NCR), and a plan for 100 locations by end-2025, Amazon is aiming to support partners in tough conditions like busy traffic and extreme weather.

The initiative began in August 2024, with the inaugural Ashray centre launching in Gurugram, followed by new centres in Bengaluru and Mumbai through late 2024. All centres are open daily (9 AM–9 PM), and accessible to any delivery associate (Amazon or others) from the logistics network for up to 30 minutes per visit.

Ashray facilities are located at petrol pumps and commercial rental spaces, making them convenient for drivers on active routes. Each centre can host up to 15 people at once, and there are plans for gender-focused upgrades like guarded restrooms for women and new safety, wellness, and charging amenities in coming months.

“These Ashray centres address the everyday challenges delivery partners face while navigating bustling traffic and extreme weather conditions,” said Salim Memon, Director, Amazon Operations, India.

Amazon’s Wider Efforts: Festive Hiring and Tech Upgrades

Ahead of the festive season, Amazon announced 150,000 temporary jobs across its operations in over 400 cities, supporting women and persons with disabilities (PWD). Beyond Ashray, Amazon will invest Rs 2,000 crore (about $233 million) in 2025 for faster deliveries, improved infrastructure, employee welfare, and technology upgrades. The investment will boost fulfilment centres, last-mile speed, and further enhance working conditions for associates.

Amazon’s partnership with Mahindra Electric supports their goal of a 10,000 EV delivery fleet by 2025, reinforcing its environmental and safety commitments.

Check out: Amazon will offer an at-home diagnostics service called Amazon Diagnostics

Recent Gig Worker Laws and National Schemes

The Karnataka Assembly passed the Gig Workers’ Social Security Bill (August 2025), creating a welfare fund supported by a 1–5% fee on aggregator transactions. Now, gig workers in Karnataka can be registered, receive unique IDs, get social security, and access dispute resolution and welfare benefits. The bill covers food delivery, logistics, ride-sharing, and B2B sectors—currently, Karnataka has over four lakh gig workers.

Nationally, Budget 2025 announced gig workers will receive identity cards and health care under the PM Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat). These measures aim to support over 1 crore gig workers, many employed in quick commerce and food delivery. The government is also preparing new policies to extend pension and PF schemes for delivery boys and cab drivers, potentially including companies like Amazon, Swiggy, and Zomato.

Delivery Associate Welfare: Looking Ahead

Amazon’s Project Ashray is part of a growing wave of better welfare, health, and safety solutions for delivery partners and gig workers in India. As the logistics industry expands and competition intensifies—especially with investments from rivals like Flipkart and Meesho—delivery associates are set to benefit from improved work conditions, social security, and meaningful job opportunities.