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What is the story about?
When Amazon launched Prime in India a decade ago, the idea of paying upfront for an e-commerce subscription was met with scepticism. Indian consumers were accustomed to comparing prices across platforms, waiting for festive sales and carefully planning purchases rather than shopping on impulse.
Ten years later, online shopping habits have changed significantly. Faster deliveries, bundled digital services and subscription-based shopping have made convenience an increasingly important factor in purchasing decisions. At the same time, the rapid rise of quick commerce has sparked debate over whether traditional e-commerce can keep pace with consumers' growing expectations for speed.
According to Akshay Sahi, Vice President of Prime, India & Emerging Markets at Amazon, the future of online retail lies in offering customers multiple ways to shop rather than treating quick commerce as a competing model.
From planned shopping to on-demand buying
One of the biggest shifts over the past decade has been the way Indian consumers make purchasing decisions.
When Prime was introduced, shoppers often spent considerable time comparing products across websites, searching for the lowest prices and questioning whether deliveries would arrive on time. Today, speed and convenience have become key drivers of online purchasing decisions.
"I think Prime, over 10 years, has taken that away, and today's shopping is on demand more than anything else," Sahi told CNBC-TV18.
Amazon argues that this growing trust has reduced the need for customers to compare prices extensively before making purchases. The company says exclusive offers, bank discounts, EMI options and a wide product selection encourage Prime members to complete more of their shopping within its ecosystem.
Why people are willing to pay for Prime
Subscription-based shopping was still relatively unfamiliar in India's e-commerce market when Prime launched.
Amazon says one of its biggest learnings has been that consumers are willing to pay for a membership when the value extends well beyond faster deliveries.
"What Prime has shown over time is that as long as you provide disproportionate value back to customers in terms of both convenience as well as savings, then you can drive that flywheel."
Over the years, Prime has evolved from a delivery membership into a bundled subscription combining shopping benefits, Prime Video, music streaming and several other digital services under a single plan.
Why smaller cities are driving Prime's next phase of growth
Prime's expansion is no longer centred on India's largest metropolitan markets.
According to Amazon, more than 70% of new Prime members now come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, reflecting how online shopping has expanded well beyond the country's biggest urban centres.
The company says it currently serves 97% of India with two-day delivery and continues investing in logistics to improve delivery speeds across the country.
The growing contribution from smaller cities mirrors a broader transformation in India's digital economy, supported by rising internet penetration, wider adoption of digital payments and a stronger nationwide logistics network.
Why Amazon measures Prime Day beyond sales
Prime Day has become one of Amazon's biggest annual shopping events, but the company says it evaluates success using metrics beyond gross merchandise value or order volumes.
It also measures whether Prime members continue shopping more frequently after the event, explore new product categories and deepen their engagement with the platform over time.
Last year's Prime Day became Amazon India's biggest edition yet, with around 18,000 orders placed every minute at peak demand. Sahi said he expects this year's event to surpass those numbers.
The company also plans to expand the use of AI-powered shopping tools during this year's Prime Day, including Rufus, Amazon's AI shopping assistant designed to help customers discover products more efficiently.
Why Amazon doesn't see quick commerce replacing e-commerce
The rapid growth of quick commerce has become one of the defining shifts in India's retail market. Companies promising deliveries within 10 to 30 minutes have reshaped consumer expectations, particularly for groceries and everyday essentials, raising questions about whether traditional e-commerce could lose relevance.
Amazon, however, argues that the two models serve different shopping occasions rather than competing directly.
"I don't think of quick commerce as being exclusive from e-commerce. I think of it as complementary and another part of e-commerce," Sahi said.
According to him, urgent purchases naturally favour rapid delivery, while planned purchases involving higher-value products or wider selection often require consumers to compare brands, features and prices before making a decision.
Instead of focusing exclusively on ultra-fast deliveries, Amazon says its strategy is to cater to customers across different delivery speeds.
Prime members can already receive thousands of products within minutes in select locations. The company has also announced plans to build 100 urban fulfilment centres to expand the range of products available for rapid delivery.
Beyond that, customers can access tens of thousands of products within hours, around a million products on the same day, four million by the next day and millions more through standard delivery timelines.
"Our play, and the Prime play, is always on the speed-selection spectrum," Sahi said. "Whatever your need is, across that spectrum of selection and speed, we want Prime to be there to serve that need."
What comes next for Prime in India
Amazon is marking a decade of Prime in India with a three-day Prime Day sale from July 4 to July 6. The company also says it is on track to double its Prime memberships from three years ago by the end of 2026.
Whether that ambition is realised will depend on how consumer expectations continue to evolve. As quick commerce expands into more product categories and faster deliveries become the norm, the next phase of competition in Indian e-commerce may be defined not simply by speed, but by who can best combine convenience, selection, value and flexibility to serve different shopping needs.
Ten years later, online shopping habits have changed significantly. Faster deliveries, bundled digital services and subscription-based shopping have made convenience an increasingly important factor in purchasing decisions. At the same time, the rapid rise of quick commerce has sparked debate over whether traditional e-commerce can keep pace with consumers' growing expectations for speed.
According to Akshay Sahi, Vice President of Prime, India & Emerging Markets at Amazon, the future of online retail lies in offering customers multiple ways to shop rather than treating quick commerce as a competing model.
From planned shopping to on-demand buying
One of the biggest shifts over the past decade has been the way Indian consumers make purchasing decisions.
When Prime was introduced, shoppers often spent considerable time comparing products across websites, searching for the lowest prices and questioning whether deliveries would arrive on time. Today, speed and convenience have become key drivers of online purchasing decisions.
"I think Prime, over 10 years, has taken that away, and today's shopping is on demand more than anything else," Sahi told CNBC-TV18.
Amazon argues that this growing trust has reduced the need for customers to compare prices extensively before making purchases. The company says exclusive offers, bank discounts, EMI options and a wide product selection encourage Prime members to complete more of their shopping within its ecosystem.
Why people are willing to pay for Prime
Subscription-based shopping was still relatively unfamiliar in India's e-commerce market when Prime launched.
Amazon says one of its biggest learnings has been that consumers are willing to pay for a membership when the value extends well beyond faster deliveries.
"What Prime has shown over time is that as long as you provide disproportionate value back to customers in terms of both convenience as well as savings, then you can drive that flywheel."
Over the years, Prime has evolved from a delivery membership into a bundled subscription combining shopping benefits, Prime Video, music streaming and several other digital services under a single plan.
Why smaller cities are driving Prime's next phase of growth
Prime's expansion is no longer centred on India's largest metropolitan markets.
According to Amazon, more than 70% of new Prime members now come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, reflecting how online shopping has expanded well beyond the country's biggest urban centres.
The company says it currently serves 97% of India with two-day delivery and continues investing in logistics to improve delivery speeds across the country.
The growing contribution from smaller cities mirrors a broader transformation in India's digital economy, supported by rising internet penetration, wider adoption of digital payments and a stronger nationwide logistics network.
Why Amazon measures Prime Day beyond sales
Prime Day has become one of Amazon's biggest annual shopping events, but the company says it evaluates success using metrics beyond gross merchandise value or order volumes.
It also measures whether Prime members continue shopping more frequently after the event, explore new product categories and deepen their engagement with the platform over time.
Last year's Prime Day became Amazon India's biggest edition yet, with around 18,000 orders placed every minute at peak demand. Sahi said he expects this year's event to surpass those numbers.
The company also plans to expand the use of AI-powered shopping tools during this year's Prime Day, including Rufus, Amazon's AI shopping assistant designed to help customers discover products more efficiently.
Why Amazon doesn't see quick commerce replacing e-commerce
The rapid growth of quick commerce has become one of the defining shifts in India's retail market. Companies promising deliveries within 10 to 30 minutes have reshaped consumer expectations, particularly for groceries and everyday essentials, raising questions about whether traditional e-commerce could lose relevance.
Amazon, however, argues that the two models serve different shopping occasions rather than competing directly.
"I don't think of quick commerce as being exclusive from e-commerce. I think of it as complementary and another part of e-commerce," Sahi said.
According to him, urgent purchases naturally favour rapid delivery, while planned purchases involving higher-value products or wider selection often require consumers to compare brands, features and prices before making a decision.
Instead of focusing exclusively on ultra-fast deliveries, Amazon says its strategy is to cater to customers across different delivery speeds.
Prime members can already receive thousands of products within minutes in select locations. The company has also announced plans to build 100 urban fulfilment centres to expand the range of products available for rapid delivery.
Beyond that, customers can access tens of thousands of products within hours, around a million products on the same day, four million by the next day and millions more through standard delivery timelines.
"Our play, and the Prime play, is always on the speed-selection spectrum," Sahi said. "Whatever your need is, across that spectrum of selection and speed, we want Prime to be there to serve that need."
What comes next for Prime in India
Amazon is marking a decade of Prime in India with a three-day Prime Day sale from July 4 to July 6. The company also says it is on track to double its Prime memberships from three years ago by the end of 2026.
Whether that ambition is realised will depend on how consumer expectations continue to evolve. As quick commerce expands into more product categories and faster deliveries become the norm, the next phase of competition in Indian e-commerce may be defined not simply by speed, but by who can best combine convenience, selection, value and flexibility to serve different shopping needs.
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