Today seems to be a day of e-commerce inevitabilities in India. Alongside news of Rocket Internet-backed Jabong’s sale comes the launch of Amazon Prime in the country.
The service costs 499 INR (around $7.50) per year, although that “introductory” price will later rise to 999 INR ($14.80), for which customers get free one- and two-day delivery for products to over 100 cities, discounted same-day delivery in top-tier cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, and early access to selected deals.
Amazon’s Prime video service is missing from the list at this point, but media reports indicated that it will come soon. Factor Daily reported earlier this month that Amazon is sinking as much as $300 million into securing and developing original content in India for Prime customers ahead of a launch “later this year.” That sum is reportedly coming from the $3 billion that Amazon this summer committed to pumping into its India-based business as it continues to battle with homegrown e-commerce rivals Flipkart and Snapdeal.
Amazon’s website hints that Prime Video is “coming,” but there’s no specific timeframe at this point.