Amazon Launches Affordable Prime Lite Membership in India

Amazon has launched a new Amazon Prime Lite subscription, a cheaper and toned-down version of regular Prime, to expand its subscriber base in India. The membership was previously available to select users in the country, but it appears open to users. Unlike the regular Prime membership, the Prime Lite subscription has a single annual plan. It means that customers have to pay Rs 999 for 12 months as there are no quarterly or monthly plans. Interestingly, the price of Prime Lite is similar to the previous price of regular Prime subscriptions. Regular Prime membership costs Rs 1,499 in India.3

The regular Prime monthly membership costs Rs 299, and the quarterly subscription costs Rs 599. Regarding benefits, Prime Lite and Amazon Prime are similar, with a few minor tweaks. Prime Lite members can enjoy one- to two-day delivery and unhurried shipping to eligible addresses. Amazon promises that no minimum order value is required for free standard delivery.

Regular Prime gives access to Amazon Music and Videos. Prime Lite members have the same benefits, although streaming quality on Prime Video suffers. Users can enjoy unlimited video streaming on two devices in HD quality. At the same time, regular Prime members have the option of 4K streaming on up to six devices simultaneously. Amazon says that Prime Videos will show ads, hence a cheaper version. However, Amazon still needs to clarify how the ads will be placed. Prime Videos with regular membership also shows ads at the beginning of shows or movies, although there is always an option to skip.

Amazon Prime Lite members also cannot access Prime Reading and Amazon Music. It also doesn't include access to Amazon Prime Music, free EMI, Prime games, or free eBooks.

In addition to Amazon, Netflix has been experimenting with subscriptions to grow its subscriber base. In select countries, Netflix is cracking down on account sharing to force users to get their subscriptions. Crackdowns on password or account sharing have yet to happen in India as it is an important market for any service provider. On the other hand, Netflix is also experimenting with an ad-supported streaming plan to attract more customers.