Amazon India launches first-ever floating store on Srinagar's Dal Lake

Residents and businesses on Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake will be served by this new store.

Amazon India on July 27 announced its first-ever floating store on Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, as part of its last-mile delivery programme "I Have Space".

As part of the onboarding process, Murtaza Khan Kashi, the owner of the houseboat Selec Town, would deliver packages to customers each day at the entrance of their houseboats.

“While I have a houseboat as my primary business, it only brings in seasonal income with the inflow of tourists in Srinagar. However, the cost of managing the houseboat is very high, which has made it very difficult for our family. In order to address the increasing expenses, I began looking for additional income opportunities,” says Murtaza.

Residents and businesses on Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake will be served by this new store. Previously, people had to take shikaras to the shore or rely on local businesses to pick up their Amazon deliveries.

Amit Agarwal, Senior Vice President - India and emerging markets, said that Amazon's first floating store is a representation of innovation, accessibility and growth of local businesses.

Excited to share this unique milestone. Here’s our 1st floating Amazon 'I Have Space' store - Selec Town Houseboat - Srinagar, a representation of innovation, accessibility & growth of local businesses.https://t.co/HeBDR7HDQ3 pic.twitter.com/Voz9iZjCTm

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— Amit Agarwal (@AmitAgarwal) July 27, 2023

Director of Amazon Logistics in India, Karuna Shankar Pande, stated that this will strengthen Amazon's delivery network while also enabling quicker and more dependable deliveries to consumers throughout Srinagar.

The "I Have Space" campaign was started in 2015 has 28,000 neighbourhood and kirana partners in roughly 420 Indian towns and cities. It collaborates with neighbourhood shops and small companies to distribute goods within a 2 to 4-kilometer range.