e-commerce
Amazon brings instant video service to Japan
MUMBAI: Amazon has started to offer its online video distribution service in Japan, allowing customers to purchase or rent films and TV shows from a selection of more than 26,000 titles.
Shochiku and Toho as well as major broadcasters NHK, TBS and Fuji TV are among the content producers for Amazon Instant Video in Japan. The service offers video downloads for around 100 yen ($1) for rental and 1,000 yen ($10) for purchase.
Hulu and Apple are both currently operating platforms in the region, adding to the competition that also includes local operators such as GyaO Corp, Tsutaya TV and NotTV. The Japanese cable network JCOM also offers a VOD service that allows for content to be downloaded on multiple devices. With Amazon Instant Video, titles can be streamed to two devices, but only downloaded to one. One of the devices linked with the service is Amazon’s own Kindle tablet.
MUMBAI: From flights to tracks, Cleartrip is now trying to keep every journey on the same ticket. Cleartrip, part of Flipkart, has launched train ticket bookings through a partnership with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, marking its entry into India’s vast rail travel ecosystem.
The integration allows users to search, book and manage train journeys directly within the app, as the company pushes towards becoming a unified, multi-modal travel platform. The move plugs Cleartrip into one of the world’s largest transportation networks, where over 800 million reserved passengers travel annually, alongside a daily footfall of around 23 million across Indian Railways.
The offering includes bookings across routes nationwide, covering General and Tatkal quotas as per Ministry of Railways guidelines. Users can also access real-time seat availability, fare insights, PNR status tracking, berth preferences and digital payment options within a single interface.
The expansion reflects a broader shift in travel platforms from specialising in a single mode to stitching together end-to-end journeys. For Cleartrip, the bet is not just on scale, but on simplifying a system often seen as complex and fragmented.
Company executives said the focus is on embedding predictive intelligence and personalisation into the booking journey, aiming to make everything from discovery to post-booking support faster and more intuitive.
The train booking feature is currently live on the app, with plans to extend it to the web platform soon, signalling a push towards a seamless cross-platform experience.
In a country where railways move billions each year, the next battleground for travel apps may well be decided not in the skies, but on the tracks.
