e-commerce
Snapdeal partners Microsoft for online store
MUMBAI: Snapdeal and Microsoft have inked a partnership to launch the official Microsoft online store on Snapdeal. The brand store on Snapdeal will enable consumers in India to enjoy the global Microsoft store experience, while purchasing a range of Microsoft products.
Merchandise available on the brand store will include the full range of Microsoft products such as phones, tablets, PCs and software.
“We are pleased to be partnering with Microsoft in opening their online store on Snapdeal. This unique, self-contained store built by Snapdeal will allow users seamless accessibility of Microsoft’s unified portfolio of phones, tablets, PCs and Microsoft software, all from the comfort of their homes. We work closely with our partners to enhance our mutual operating environments. With this initiative, we are taking another definitive step towards building India’s most impactful digital ecosystem,” said Snapdeal SVP, electronics and home Tony Navin.
The store has been curated keeping in mind the finer nuances associated with the Microsoft brand. The layout of the store has been customized to offer an integrated Windows customer experience. The store enables Microsoft to manage product selection, promotions and launches as per need/requirement and basis the analytics shared by Snapdeal.
Microsoft India group OEM director Sharlin Thayil added, “Increasingly consumers are going online to shop for a number of things, including mobiles, tablets, laptops and software. We therefore see tremendous opportunity in delivering Microsoft products and services through our online store to these customers. Our latest store on Snapdeal will help us reach more such customers and offer excellent choice, value and service that customers expect from Microsoft stores.”
e-commerce
Amazon India slashes fees to boost seller growth
Zero referral fees now on over 12.5 crore products under Rs 1,000, Easy Ship fees cut by over 20 per cent from 16 March 2026.
MUMBAI: Amazon India just dropped fees like confetti because when sellers save up to 70 per cent, even the checkout cart starts celebrating. Amazon India today announced a major fee reduction to supercharge growth for lakhs of sellers, expanding zero referral fees coverage more than 10x from 1.2 crore products in 2025 to over 12.5 crore products priced under Rs 1,000 across 1,800 plus categories. Effective 16 March 2026, the changes also include a more than 20 per cent cut in Easy Ship fees for products below Rs 300, plus savings of up to 90 per cent plus on selling fees for the second unit when multiple units ship in one box.
Easy Ship where sellers store products at their premises while Amazon handles pickup and delivery remains a favourite for small businesses and those scaling up, thanks to lower upfront logistics costs. The revisions aim to make selling more profitable, especially for entrepreneurs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Amazon India director of selling partner services Amit Nanda said, “Building on last year’s fee reductions, we are now expanding that commitment to benefit a much larger cohort of sellers. By eliminating referral fees across 1,800 plus categories and reducing logistics costs, sellers can save up to 70 per cent in fees.”
Illustrative per-unit savings (effective 16 March 2026, products under 500g):
Fashion jewellery necklace set (Rs 999, Easy Ship), total fees drop from Rs 324 to Rs 100, a 69 per cent reduction (save Rs 224).
Earphones (Rs 798, Fulfilled by Amazon), total fees fall from Rs 248 to Rs 109, a 56 per cent reduction (save Rs 139).
T-shirt (Rs 299, Easy Ship), total fees reduce from Rs 71 to Rs 56, a 21 per cent reduction (save Rs 15).
Earthen Story (a Bengaluru-based seller) co-founder Ashish Agarwal reflected on last year’s changes, “When Amazon axed referral fees on products under Rs 300 last year, it was a game-changer… The result? 50 per cent explosive growth, with more momentum to conquer even bigger categories.”
Sellers can choose from three fulfilment options, self-ship, Easy Ship, or Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). The fee cuts reinforce Amazon’s push to pass operational efficiencies back to sellers and customers in one of the world’s fastest-growing e-commerce markets.
In a platform where every rupee saved can fuel the next listing, Amazon isn’t just tweaking numbers, it’s handing sellers rocket fuel to scale faster, sell smarter, and keep the cart rolling.
