Brands
Almonds Ai appoints Gajendra Arya as head of technology
IIT Bombay alumnus with 20+ years’ experience to lead AI innovation push
MUMBAI: Almonds Ai has appointed Gajendra Arya as its head of technology, strengthening its leadership bench as it scales its AI-led engagement and loyalty platforms.
An alumnus of IIT Bombay, Arya brings over two decades of experience in building scalable enterprise and consumer technology platforms. His career spans key leadership roles across companies such as CarDekho, Zypp Electric and Escrowpay, where he led product innovation and large-scale digital transformation initiatives.
In his new role, Arya will oversee the company’s technology strategy, product architecture and innovation roadmap. His focus will be on strengthening Almonds Ai’s AI ecosystem and building next-generation platforms designed to enhance brand and channel partner engagement.
Almonds Ai co-founders Abhinav Jain and Apurv Modi said, “Technology is the backbone of everything we are building at Almonds Ai. As we continue to push the boundaries of AI-driven engagement and loyalty ecosystems, having a leader like Gajendra onboard significantly strengthens our vision.”
Speaking on his appointment, Gajendra Arya said, “Almonds Ai is building a powerful ecosystem at the intersection of technology, data and partner engagement. I am excited to work on scalable platforms that help brands create stronger relationships through intelligent, technology-led solutions.”
With this move, Almonds Ai is doubling down on its innovation roadmap, aiming to expand its AI-powered loyalty and rewards ecosystem while accelerating global growth.
Brands
Amazon Now to reach 100 cities with 1,000 plus centres in Rs 2,800 crore push
Rs 2,800 crore push fuels rapid delivery expansion as quick commerce heats up
NEW DELHI: Amazon India is significantly expanding its ultra-fast delivery service Amazon Now, with plans to scale operations to 100 cities across India, backed by a network of over 1,000 micro-fulfilment centres.
The move is part of a broader Rs 2,800 crore investment aimed at strengthening the company’s operations network while also enhancing safety, health and financial wellbeing programmes for thousands of associates, including fulfilment centre staff and delivery partners.
Amazon Now offers a curated selection of thousands of daily essentials, ranging from groceries such as fresh fruits, vegetables and frozen food to personal care, fashion and beauty products, small appliances, baby products, pet supplies and healthcare supplements. These are delivered within minutes, positioning the service at the centre of India’s rapidly evolving quick commerce landscape.
The expansion will take Amazon Now beyond its existing footprint in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru to a wide mix of metro and non-metro cities, including Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Meerut, Mysore, Panipat, Kochi, Amritsar, Mangalore and Vizag.
A key pillar of the initiative is its growing supply ecosystem. The company said the expansion will enable more than 16,000 farmers to directly connect with customers through sellers on the platform, using Amazon’s technology and logistics backbone to deliver fresh produce efficiently.
Explaining the momentum, Amazon India VP everyday essentials Harsh Goyal said, “Customers continue to enjoy Amazon Now, appreciating our delivery speed, value and selection, especially the quality of fresh produce sourced directly from farmers. Encouraged by this success, we have further accelerated our expansion plans and will scale Amazon Now to 100 cities, fuelled by a network of more than 1,000 micro-fulfilment centres.”
He added that the platform is designed to offer unmatched convenience, with thousands of essentials delivered in minutes, over a million items available for same-day delivery, and millions more the next day through Amazon’s wider marketplace.
At the core of Amazon Now is a network of compact, tech-enabled micro-fulfilment centres strategically located close to customer neighbourhoods. These facilities use advanced inventory systems to optimise product placement based on hyperlocal demand, enabling faster and more efficient deliveries.
With scale, speed and supply chain integration coming together, Amazon’s latest push underscores its ambition to become a dominant player in India’s quick commerce space while reshaping how everyday essentials reach consumers.
