Amazon to launch online drug sales in Bengaluru to enhance reach
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on
Friday it will launch an online pharmacy in India that will serve the city of
Bengaluru, the latest move by the e-commerce giant to widen its reach in a key
growth market.
The
service, "Amazon Pharmacy",
will offer both over-the-counter and prescription-based drugs, basic health
devices and traditional Indian herbal medicines, the company said in a
statement, without giving a timeline for the launch.
The move comes amid increasing competition in India with rivals Walmart-owned
Flipkart, billionaire Mukesh Ambani's upstart online grocery service JioMart
and a range of other smaller players.
Last
month, the company decided to open 10 new warehouses in India and start
offering auto insurance. Amazon had also
secured clearance for alcohol delivery in one Indian state, Reuters reported in
June.
India
is yet to finalize regulations for online drug sales, or e-pharmacies, but the
growth of several online sellers such as Medlife, Netmeds, Temasek-backed
PharmEasy and Sequoia Capital-backed 1mg has threatened traditional drug
stores.
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