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MUMBAI: Amazon.com is coming to India, with the Thursday launch of Junglee.com, a watered-down version of its global shopping portal.
Junglee.com offers 12 million products from over 14,000 Indian and global brands, the Seattle-based company said in a statement Thursday.
The site allows shoppers to compare prices, but most actual purchases must be made through a network of third-party retailers.
Indians will be able to buy shoes from Reebok, computer gadgets from Microsoft India, clothes from Fabindia and luxury leather handbags from Hidesign.
Some items —like the Kindle —are sold by Amazon.com directly, but will be subject to steep international shipping and customs fees.
''We are excited to give customers in India a single online starting point where they can shop a wide selection of products sold by local and global retailers, and make informed purchasing decisions,'' Amit Agarwal, vice president, Amazon.com said in a statement.
Internet penetration in India remains low, but online retailing is a fast-growing business.
Amazon's arrival will ratchet up competition among local heavyweights, like FlipKart.com, which was started by two former Amazon employees, and offers speedy, cash-on-delivery service for a range of products, including books, electronics, music and home appliances.
