Amazon India slashes seller referral fees in retail growth push

March 1, 2026 3:31 PM EST

The Amazon logo is seen at its newly inaugurated office in Bengaluru, India, February 23, 2026, REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh

March 2 (Reuters) - Amazon will ‌stop charging ​sellers ​in India referral fees for products under 1,000 rupees ($10.98), the company said on Monday, as it looks ‌to attract more merchants to its online marketplace and ⁠get a stronger footing in the country's competitive e-commerce industry.

The move expands ‌on Amazon's 'zero-referral fee' policy launched ‌last year, which covered roughly 12 million products priced below 300 rupees and helped drive a 50% surge in new ​sellers joining Amazon in India. A referral fee is a commission that sellers pay to Amazon for each product ⁠sold.

The new structure, effective March 16, covers more than 125 million products, Amazon said, ​adding that it was also reducing some shipping charges.

"This move is designed to make selling on Amazon ​more lucrative and simpler, particularly for ‌small businesses and entrepreneurs in tier-2 and tier-3 cities," said Amit Nanda, director of Selling Partner ⁠Services for Amazon India.

India has emerged as a crucial market for Amazon, thanks to a rapidly expanding internet user base that has fueled ⁠e-commerce growth in the world's most populous country.

But Amazon faces fierce competition ​in the region from Walmart-backed Flipkart and the retail arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, while quick-commerce players such as Eternal's Blinkit and ‌Swiggy's Instamart have been grabbing market share rapidly.

Amazon said in December that it would invest more ‌than $35 billion in India by 2030, looking to expand its ⁠AI infrastructure, but also with ‌a focus on ​growing retail logistics and spurring small-business growth.

($1 = 91.0480 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju ‌Samuel)



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