Amazon to waive 50% fee for new sellers

Amazon.com’s Indian arm said on Monday it will halve the fee for new sellers on its platform as the e-commerce giant gears up for the festive season in one of its key markets.

All new sellers registering on Amazon.in between Aug. 28 and Oct. 26, and launching within 90 days, can avail a 50% waiver on the amount they pay to sell their products through the website, it said in a statement.

“We have over a million sellers from India who will have the opportunity to showcase their products to customers across the country during the festive season,” said Vivek Somareddy, Director Fulfillment Channels at Amazon India.

Selling fee is calculated as a percentage of the sales price paid by the buyer.

Amazon’s “Great Indian Festival,” the company’s annual festive season sale, kicks off on September 23. Indians make most of their big-ticket purchases during the festival season.

Amazon and its Walmart-backed local rival Flipkart Internet offer deep discounts on everything from clothes to smartphones and home appliances ahead of the Indian festive season that begins in Octoberthis year.

Last year, Amazon announced a $250 million venture fund for India, focused on bringing the country’s small businesses online, after it came under fire from local retailers.

The company has been investing in scaling up infrastructure that has been bulked up with a network of over 60 fulfillment centers across the country.

Many Indian retailers have long alleged that e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart flout federal regulations and that their business practices hurt small traders. The companies have denied all allegations.