Amazon India to halve the fee for new sellers in festival season

Amazon Indian said 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.

BENGALURU (Reuters) -Amazon.com Inc'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.

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 Inc.-backed local rival Flipkart Internet offer deep discounts on everything from clothes to smartphones and home appliances ahead of the Hindu festivals Dussehra and Diwali.

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. (https://bityl.co/EKMr)

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.

(Reporting by Chris Thomas and Yagnoseni Das in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil)