With shopping, video streaming and music already being offered in India, Amazon is now reportedly entering the food delivery space in the country this year. According to a Reuters report on Monday, 29 July, the US retail giant is in talks with local partner, and is hiring staff for the upcoming business division, as mentioned by sources quoted in the story.
Amazon is expected to unleash its latest venture in the country, right in time for the upcoming festive season, which starts around September every year, one of the source was quoted saying in the report.
With this entry, Amazon will be fighting head-on with established giants like Swiggy and Zomato, with Uber Eats and FoodPanda (owned by Ola) also part of the sector.
Having said that, a news report on Business Standard on Monday has suggested that Amazon will most likely buy the Indian division of Uber Eats to kickstart its vertical in the country.
Interestingly, the timing of Amazon entering the food delivery biz in India makes the news, one month after the company exited the business in the US, the Reuters report emphasised.
The sector is debt-ridden for all the players, which is unlikely to deter a behemoth like Amazon, which is backed by one of the richest person on the planet.
Swiggy and Zomato, for their part have thrived on an evolving market, where consumer trends have lately shaped up to work in their favour.
More people are comfortable ordering food in 2018-19 than what it used to be few years back. Heavy discounts play a big part in the growth and demand for this sector, and Amazon will be expected to chime in with similar benefits, probably part of the Prime program it already offers.
It will be intriguing to see if Amazon’s push in the sector will change the perception of investors, bringing more companies into the fore and showering more discounts to the consumers.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)