Amazon India unveiled a Hindi version of its Android app and mobile website in a bid to reach out to a larger audience and trounce competitors like Flipkart and Paytm Mall, which don’t offer these services yet.
Amazon, which launched its first shopping website in India in 2013, says the Hindi option is a significant step towards its goal of bringing the next 100 million customers onto its platform.
About 40% of India's population is Hindi speaking. A 2017 Google and KPMG report says the Indian language Internet user base is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18% to reach 536 million users by 2021. Compared to that, the English Internet user base is growing at 3% to 199 million. Indian language Internet users are expected to account for nearly 75% of the user base by 2021, by when the number of Hindi users will outgrow the English user base, the report says.
“This first Indian language launch will enable crores of Hindi-preferring customers across India to shop in their preferred language,” says Manish Tiwary, vice president, category management, Amazon India.
Amazon users will now get detailed product information, place orders, pay, manage their account, track their orders, and view order history, in Hindi, the e-commerce company said in a statement. Although, the customers will have to continue to use the search feature and enter the delivery addresses in English. But it will add more shopping features like product reviews, ratings, question and answers available in Hindi over the next few months, the company added.
Earlier this year, the world’s largest retailer, Walmart Inc, bought a majority stake in Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart for $16 billion, heating up the online retail battle in India. With the Walmart deal, Flipkart now has $2 billion of new equity funding to up its ante in India, while Amazon has infused Rs 2,600 crore into its India unit, doubling Amazon India’s authorised capital to $4.74 billion.
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