MAM
Amazon’s Great Indian Festival to commence from 17 October
NEW DELHI: As India gears up for the festive season, e-commerce major Amazon India has announced its annual Great Indian festival to commence from 17 October. As usual, the Amazon Prime members will have access to discounts and offers a day in advance, 16 October.
This year, lakhs of small and medium businesses (SMBs) are offering unique selection to customers to rebuild and accelerate their businesses in tough times. Customers across the country will have the opportunity to shop for unique products from thousands of Amazon sellers under various programs such as local shops, Amazon Launchpad, Amazon Saheli, and Amazon Karigar and enjoy deals/offers extended by lakhs of small businesses.
Over 20,000 offline retailers, kiranas, and local shops from local shops on Amazon programme are participating for the first time in the company’s biggest annual sale. Local shops on Amazon, which allow sellers to cater to customers in their local area and deliver products in upto two days have scaled rapidly in just five months; with more than 40 per cent of the sellers coming from outside the top 10 cities.
Commenting on the announcement, Amazon India VP Manish Tiwary said, “This year’s ‘Great Indian Festival’ is an opportunity for our sellers and partners to reach millions of customers across the country. Our sellers are excited and expect this to help them in accelerating their business. For our customers, our aim is to help them find everything they need during the festive season and deliver it safely to them.”
Sellers on Amazon.in are optimistic about the festive season. As per a recent survey by Nielsen, more than 85 per cent of SMBs sellers are expecting to reach out to new customers and witness an increase in sales. More than 74 per cent of sellers are optimistic about the recovery of business and 78 per cent are positive about the increase in visibility of their products.
Customers can look forward to over 900 new product launches from top brands. They can shop for deals every day across a wide range of categories like consumer durables, electronic gadgets, kitchen appliances, fashion and apparel, and many others. The brand has added new languages- English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada into the app for customers to shop.
Tiwari told the media that their objective for this festive season is to help the MSME sector to grow their business and bounce back from the recent challenges, he shared that the pandemic has disrupted the consumer behaving buying pattern, “We have seen small businesses who were shy from doing their business online, pandemic in a way has helped them to implement it, and innovate the business. Today, small retailers want to grow their business on Amazon, and take benefits out of it.”
The etailer has gone ahead to launch a campaign in multiple languages to connect with the audiences.
The etailer has created multiple stores around Diwali, Pujo, IPL and others to help customers shop more products of their need and choice. This also includes a wedding store for the forthcoming wedding season. Customers can now use voice to quickly narrow their search for products, top deals, including Alexa-exclusive deals, or just ask Alexa on their Amazon Shopping app (Android only) as well, to pay utility bills, load money in Amazon Pay, or navigate to the Small Business Store, Fun Zone or the Great Indian Bazaar.
Amazon has ramped up its delivery infrastructure adding close to 200 delivery stations and added tens of thousands of delivery partners to its network. Amazon.in has expanded its fulfilment footprint with more than 60 centres in 15 states offering a storage capacity of over 32 million cubic feet to serve customers in the farthest parts of the country. Further, it has announced 5 new sort centres and expansion of 8 existing sort centres across the country to strengthen fulfilment capacity.
According to experts, online festive season sales will generate higher order volume and value for e-commerce companies on the back of the Covid2019-induced shift in shopping patterns for a vast number of consumers not just in metros but largely in non-metro cities from physical retail to online retail. This would also likely help online sellers to multiply their sales following the negligible to zero growth in business during the lockdown.
As per market research firm RedSeer, growth in shoppers this year will be driven by ‘Bharat’ shoppers with 40-50 per cent of 45-50 million shoppers expected to come from Tier-II cities and beyond, 20-25 per cent from Tier-I cities, and 30-35 per cent from metros. The growth in shoppers will be around 70 per cent — from 28 million in 2019 to expected 45-50 million this year in contrast to only around 40 per cent from 20 million in 2018 festive days to 28 million in 2019.
When you plan to buy medical insurance for your family, the first question is often about savings. You may assume that buying online automatically means paying less, but that is only part of the picture. The real issue is not just whether the premium looks lower, but whether the policy gives you suitable family health insurance without adding avoidable costs later.
Buying online can sometimes appear more budget-friendly because you can compare plans, review features, and complete the process without depending entirely on offline assistance.
Still, a lower visible price does not always mean better value. To understand whether you can truly save more, you need to look at the full buying experience and the policy terms together.
Why Online Purchase Can Look More Economical
When you explore family health insurance online, you usually get access to plan details in a more direct and organised way. This can make the buying journey feel simpler and more transparent.
A few reasons online purchases may seem cost-effective include:
● Easier comparison of policy features
● Direct access to premium details
● The ability to review inclusions and exclusions at your own pace
● Fewer chances of making a rushed decision
● More control over the plan selection process
This does not mean every online option is automatically cheaper. It simply means the online route may help you assess choices more carefully, and that itself can influence how much value you get from the policy you choose.
Saving Money is Not Only About a Lower Premium
A lower premium often catches your attention first, but that should not be the only measure of savings. If you buy medical insurance based only on what looks affordable at the start, you may overlook conditions that matter later.
A family health insurance policy should be judged on overall value, including:
● The scope of cover
● Waiting period terms
● Exclusions
● Room eligibility conditions
● Sub-limits, if any
● Claim-related terms
● Renewal conditions
If the premium is lower but the policy has stricter internal conditions, the apparent saving may not feel meaningful when you actually need hospitalisation support.
So, the better question is not only whether online purchase costs less, but whether it helps you select a plan that remains financially sensible over time.
Comparing Plans Online Can Prevent Overspending
One clear advantage of the online route is that it allows you to compare different options without pressure. This can help you avoid paying for features you may not need or missing features that matter for your family.
Before you buy medical insurance online, look closely at:
● Who can be covered under the plan
● How the sum insured works for the family
● Whether day care procedures are included
● How pre-existing illness rules are explained
● Whether add-ons are optional or built in
● How clearly the policy wording is presented
This level of comparison can support better decision-making. In many cases, savings come not only from the premium itself but from choosing a policy with fewer surprises.
Online Discounts Should be Viewed Carefully
Online discounts can make a plan look attractive, but they should always be read alongside the policy details. A discount may reduce the upfront cost, yet the true worth of the policy depends on what it covers and how it responds during a claim.
When reviewing discounted online plans, check whether the policy has:
● Treatment-specific limits
● Room rent restrictions
● Co-payment clauses
● Disease-wise waiting periods
● Claim deductions linked to the hospital category
● Limited cover for selected benefits
These points are important because a policy that looks cheaper at purchase may involve more out-of-pocket spending later. That is why discount-led buying should be replaced with detail-led buying.
Final Thoughts
Yes, buying online can sometimes help you save more when choosing family health insurance, but only if you look beyond the headline price. The online route may give you better visibility, easier comparison, and more time to review the policy terms.
That can support smarter choices and may reduce the chances of paying for a plan that does not suit your family well.
If you want to buy medical insurance online, treat savings as more than a discount. The real advantage lies in choosing family health insurance that balances affordability, clarity, and meaningful coverage for your household.
