Simplified two-tier GST (5%/18%) seen as consumption stimulus for festive e-commerce
Amazon Prime early access: Great Indian Festival starts Sept 22 for members
One-day delivery scale-up: 50% more same-day orders; ultrafast four-minute deliveries
Sellers and bank partners offer deals, no-cost EMIs; Amazon promises larger selection
The government’s simplified GST structure this year, is a huge benefit for both sellers and customers, as per Amazon India’s Country Manager Samir Kumar. “It brings clarity, efficiency, and greater ease of doing business, which is good for the entire economy,” he added.
The Amazon Great Indian Festival 2025 will begin on September 23. “For our Prime members, it starts a day earlier, on September 22. This year’s festival will bring the largest selection, the fastest deliveries, and the best offers yet,” added Kumar.
The government’s move to introduce a simpler two-tier GST structure of 5% and 18% has come just days before the start of the festive shopping season. Market experts suggest that these reforms could significantly influence this year’s festive e-commerce performance. By reducing tax rates in several key segments, the new structure is expected to encourage higher consumer spending.
Analysts are calling it a “consumption stimulus” that could leave shoppers with extra disposable income to spend during the sales.
Meanwhile, speaking about the importance of speed, Kumar said that with Prime, the company has been pioneering one-day delivery in India. “This year, we will deliver 50% more orders on the same day compared to last year. Our one-day delivery now covers more than half the cities in India,” he said.
Further speaking about quick commerce deliveries, he added that the company launched ultrafast deliveries last December in Bengaluru, followed by Delhi, and more cities will follow. “In fact, in some cases, we have managed deliveries in just four minutes, which customers have been thrilled about,” he said.
Speaking about this year’s preparation for the Great Indian festival, Kumar said, “Every year, our goal is to make the Great Indian Festival bigger and better than the last one. As soon as one festival ends, preparations for the next begin.
We work throughout the year with sellers to bring the best deals to customers, and with banking partners to offer affordability programs like no-cost EMIs.” Just to give some background, last year, Amazon India came up with its festive sale last year from September 27 to October 29. Last year, Amazon India witnessed 140 crore customer visits.
