Amazon is wooing Indian customers with a super-fast delivery option that will deliver smartphones within a matter of hours

• Amazon has announced a new ‘faster than same day’ delivery option for smartphone in India.
  
• The new feature will deliver smartphones to customers within 5 hours, and will be initially available in Delhi-NCR region.
  
• Non-prime members will have to pay ₹150 for the service, whereas Prime members can get it for free.

Amazon is setting a new benchmark in Indian e-commerce.

The giant has introduced a ‘faster than same day’ delivery option for smartphones in India, which will deliver smartphones to customers within 3 to 5 hours of them placing their orders.

It’s no secret that Amazon is battling for global dominance. And with the company facing challenges in the Chinese market, India has become an important target for it.

Amazon currently garners around 30% of the market share in India, according to Citi Research. So it’s taking its game to next level through a number of moves, such as this delivery option and also by extending its main sale of the year, the Great Indian Festival.

More often than not, delivery delays are common among e-commerce retailers in India, leaving consumers restless and unsatisfied. Amazon’s selling point is that the service is available seven days a week.

The new pilot service can be availed all through the festive season in the country. But while the service will be free for Amazon Prime members, non-Prime members will have to pay an additional fee of ₹150 to get super-fast deliveries. Even if consumers have placed an order at 6pm in the evening, the company promises to deliver it by 9 pm in night on the same day, according to a news report.

Initially, this exclusive delivery service will only be available in the Delhi-NCR region, but the e-commerce giant is mulling over expanding it in other metro cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.

The hyperlocal strategy comes as Amazon looks to take on Indian e-commerce portal Flipkart, which dominates the mobile and large appliance market. Flipkart acquired a market share of 75% during ‘Big Billion Days’— a five day festive sale that the company runs. It also recorded a sale of 3 million smartphones on October 11.

Amazon’s super-fast delivery service will give it a leg-up over Flipkart, which usually takes two to four days to deliver a smartphone.