Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Sep 16
Amazon Launches Alexa+ in India With Hindi Support, Sets ₹2,000 Monthly Price for Non-Prime Users
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Sep 16

Amazon Launches Alexa+ in India With Hindi Support, Sets ₹2,000 Monthly Price for Non-Prime Users

3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Sep 16

Summary

  • Alexa+ is now available in India in Early Access in Hindi and English, giving users a conversational assistant that can sustain longer exchanges and keep context across requests.
  • ₹2,000 a month is the planned price for non-Prime users after testing ends, while Prime members will get Alexa+ free, Amazon said.
  • Hindi-English switching works mid-sentence, and the upgraded assistant can handle multi-step tasks such as ordering groceries on Amazon Now and controlling smart-home devices.
  • Swiggy, District, MakeMyTrip, TripAdvisor, EazyDiner, Amazon Music and JioSaavn are among the India-focused integrations Amazon is using to make the service locally useful.
  • India's 600 million-plus Hindi speakers are a key target as Amazon expands Alexa+ globally; the company said its smart-home devices in the country have already grown 20% from a year earlier.

Insights

Will Alexa+’s ability to seamlessly code-switch between Hindi and English revolutionize voice commerce, or will early glitches hinder its adoption?
With a steep monthly fee for non-Prime users, can Alexa+ truly justify its cost despite reports of hallucinations and bugs?