Launches website and app for Android users in Hindi; firm focusing on adding vernacular languages to Alexa
With intense competition from Walmart’s Flipkart, US-based Amazon has set its eyes on the next level of growth in the fastest growing e-commerce market of India.
To tap the next 100 million internet users in small towns and cities, Amazon on Tuesday launched its mobile website and app for Android smartphones in Hindi language.
“What we believe is, Amazon.in in Hindi is a critical step to actually address the next 100 million customers. This first Indian language launch will enable crores of Hindi-preferring customers across India to shop in their preferred language,” Manish Tiwary, vice-president, category management at Amazon India, said.
Amazon.in has about 150 million registered users.
“We combined both human effort to craft the right experience and artificial intelligence to scale this experience. Hindi marketplace has been developed in about three quarters,” Amazon India customer experience and marketing director Kishore Thota said.
Customers will get product information, deals, discounts in Hindi and will be able to place and pay for their orders through this language.
More features like product reviews, ratings, question and answers will be available in Hindi over the next few months.
Amazon has also been focusing on adding Indian languages to Alexa, the digital assistant.
The e-commerce market in India is expected to grow to $200 billion in a decade, as per industry reports.
The company plans to extend to other vernacular languages, but didn’t give any clear timeframe. This has come ahead of the biggest festive season in the country and at a time when Indians are hooking on to data like never before all thanks to Reliance Jio, the new telecom player which has disrupted the market by offering dirt cheap tariffs.
Way back in 2015, Snapdeal had started offering its marketplace in 14 Indian languages, but it wasn’t successful, as it was ahead of its time, according to experts. Paytm has launched its merchant services in local languages and is working on extending the feature on its overall ecosystem.
India has over 1 billion mobile users, but only 300-400 million are internet users. Telecom players along with online retailers plan to tap the users who are not on to internet platform as the advent of 4G has increased the internet user base in small towns and cities -- Tier 2 and 3.
Currently, all the big online firms Flipkart, Snapdeal, Paytm Mall and ShopClues are available only in English.
GETTING CLOSER
- Customers will get product information, deals, discounts in Hindi
- They will be able to place and pay for their orders through this language
- Features like product reviews, ratings will be available in Hindi sin the next few months
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