Amazon set to double office space across India as part of aggressive expansion drive

US e-retailing giant Amazon may nearly double its office space in India over the next one year as part of its aggressive ramp up in Asia's third largest economy. The new office locations across Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai and NCR will cater to its local and global customers.

The Seattle-based giant, which is currently engaged with rival Flipkart for becoming India's e-commerce leader, plans to add another 2.5 million sqft, up from its existing 3.1 million sqft across the country, people familiar with the matter said. Hyderabad is likely to benefit the most from Amazon's expansion drive.

Amazon has an old association with Hyderabad as the e-commerce giant set up its first operations in the city more than a decade ago. Amazon is looking for an additional 0.9 million sqft space either in the financial district of Gachibowli or Raidurgam, sources added, besides the 1.5 mil lion sqft it already occupies across five buildings spread across the city.

These plans are separate from a 3-million-sqft campus that Amazon is building in Hyderabad. An Amazon spokesperson did not respond to an email query sent by TOI. Besides, Amazon is look ing to expand in Benga luru, looking for an additional 0.6 million sqft either on Outer Ring Road or the northern part of the IT city. 

It has an existing office portfolio of 1.6 million spread over two centres. Amazon doubling down could be a good signal for business park developers after they saw internet startups dramatically scale down expansion plans faced with a funding crunch. With Paytm and Flipkart completing multi-billion-dollar fund-raises, these companies are expected to be in the expansion mode once again. Sources said Paytm is looking to take up more office in Bengaluru in the coming months.