Amazon India gets 100 million app downloads in less than three years after launch

Amazon India has announced that its Android mobile application has reached 100 million downloads on Google Play Store. The announcement comes just a couple of weeks after its arch rival Flipkart claimed to have become the first online shopping app in India to cross 100 million downloads on Google Play.

According to their press release, App Annie data shows that the app has been the fastest in the shopping category in India to reach this milestone. Amazon India app was launched in December 2014. It is currently rated 4.3, close to Flipkart’s 4.4, on Google play store.

The statement from the company claims that Amazon app doubled its user base since last Diwali by adding 50 million downloads in 12 months. It says,

"According to Similarweb, the Amazon app enjoys the highest penetration (in the shopping category) among Android users in India with one out of every three users having the app installed on their phones, thereby reflecting the platform of choice for online shoppers in the country."

Mobile first strategy

Since India is a mobile first country, app downloads are a clear indication of growing customer base and popularity of the app. India currently has less than 400 million smartphone users. But India had only 69 million online shoppers in 2016 according to a report by Goldman Sachs, and will have 175 million according to a study by Google and AT Kearney by 2020.

According to a recent study by US-based media agency Zenith, by 2020, India will have 530 million smartphone users. But Indian e-tail industry is yet to grow to exploit its full potential. Its growth rate came down drastically last year according to RedSeer Consulting – from 180 percent in 2015 to just 12 percent in 2016 - and average annual e-commerce spending per consumer in India is only between $120 and $140 (Rs 7,800 to Rs 9,000). Kishore Thota, Director Customer Experience, Amazon India said,

“All our innovations are mobile-first, we are the first ones to design the most light-weight app, Micron, to suit even the low-end smartphones. We also introduced near-automated sign-ups for first-time mobile users, made it easier for customers to pay online, revamped its daily deals offering, among other innovations.”

Amazon has an app first approach, with several programs on the app aimed at helping customers with buying guides for pre-purchase research, track deals, live push notifications, product enhancements for faster checkouts, and easy access to customer support.