Amazon India Temporarily Halts Kindle; Details

If you're a Kindle enthusiast from India, you might have noticed its absence from Amazon India's website. Accessories for the popular e-reader are still available, but the Kindle devices themselves have vanished. Adding to the intrigue, since 2022, no new Kindle models have been launched in India. However, Amazon assures customers this situation is temporary.

Kindles, however, have seemingly vanished from offline stores: although some offline stores, such as Reliance Digital, still sell the device, it is limited to leftover stock. With fresh stock, Kindle fans in India wonder whether the turn of events will spell the end for the device in the country.

What's Behind the Kindle's Disappearing Act?

Amazon has been busy overhauling its Kindle lineup globally, with its first-ever colour-play vibrant displays appearing this year. Traditionally, new Kindles were launched in India a few weeks after rolling out worldwide, but this time around, nothing has been updated so far. What's also changed from tradition is that Amazon took older generations off the Indian website - something it never did before.

This has led to speculations that Amazon may be reassessing their strategy for the Indian market of Kindle. However, an Amazon India spokesperson was quick to clear this by saying: "We regret that Kindle e-readers are temporarily unavailable. Please keep an eye on our Amazon.in page for any updates regarding Kindle availability. Thank you for your understanding."

The latest Kindle brought to India was an updated entry-level model introduced in 2022 at ₹9,999. Global markets have been enjoying the latest features, but Indian customers are in limbo, uncertain about when—or if—newer Kindles will be available.

What can Indian Kindle fans do?

There are few opportunities for those who look forward to getting their Kindle. Their stores could have remaining stock, but one can never tell if it's available. Customers may purchase newer Kindles in international markets, but this involves extra costs and logistical inconveniences. Besides Kindles, there are the Kobo and Onyx e-book readers. Given the right price and free shipping, these will also be good alternatives.

So Amazon India's official statement suggests it is a temporary stop, but the ambiguity surrounding the timeline has kept the Kindle enthusiasts in India hoping for a speedy resolution. As of now, the future of the Kindle in India is uncertain.