Amazon makes India debut with Junglee.com shopping website

MUMBAI, India – 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.

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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.