Amazon quietly launches online marketplace in India
The site will allow third-party users to list and sell their merchandise to customers, but the retail giant is prohibited from selling its own inventory.
Amazon on Tuesday quietly launched an online marketplace in India that allows users to list and sell their products directly to consumers.
The site, Amazon.in, lists more than 7 million print books, as well as 12,000 movies and TV shows on DVD and Blu-ray. It plans to introduce mobile phones and cameras in the coming weeks, the company said in a statement.
"Our vision, at Amazon, is to be Earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover virtually anything they want to buy online," Greg Greeley, vice president of International Expansion at Amazon.com, said in a statement. "With Amazon.in, we endeavor to build that same destination in India by giving customers more of what they want - vast selection, low prices, fast and reliable delivery, and a trusted and convenient experience."
Unlike Amazon sites in other countries, this site is strictly for third-party sellers. Amazon.in will not be selling its own inventory due to Indian regulations prohibiting multibrand retailers from selling their own products online.
However, Amazon will act as a fulfillment agent for hundreds of sellers across India. Sellers send their merchandise to a fulfillment center on the outskirts of Mumbia, from where Amazon packages and and ships the order to customers.
While Amazon has not previously had a branded presence in India, the online retail giant relaunched Junglee.com last year. The shopping site connects buyers with online and offline retailers but does not conduct the sales transactions.