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Writer's pictureVidhi Thakar

How Kindle Took Over India: A tale of E-Reading and Publishing


When it comes to buying books, more and more people in India are turning to Amazon Kindle. Why is this? Kindle offers a number of advantages over traditional books, including convenience, a wide selection, and lower prices.

In addition, Kindle has a number of features that make it particularly popular in India. For example, the ability to read books in multiple languages is a huge selling point for many people.

If you’re looking for the strategies Kindle used to gain popularity in a country like India where is presence of avid readers as well as non-readers, keep reading! In this article, we’ll discuss the popularity of Kindle in India and some of the reasons why people love it.

Kindle's early lack of popularity in India reasons:

The creators of the Kindle knew that tangible books are what Indian readers want to read. Happiness and familiarity were elicited by the book's material, texture, and fragrance.

The reasons why people prefer physical books over eBooks are not unknown. The concept of “sustainable stories” still prevails.

Readers in India were at first hesitant to shift to e-reading because of the following reasons:


  • Paper books were less expensive than eBooks and e-readers

  • Price ranges for Kindle readers (without adverts) are between Rs. 8000 and Rs. 21000 ($100 and $300) ranging from capacity of the tablet, quality resolution, display, adjustability.

  • A knowledgeable book shopper always opts to acquire used books.

  • Physical books may be purchased for a startlingly low price.

  • Concerns about screen time and eye health are growing.



  • Reading is viewed as a pastime that provides a respite from too much screen time.

  • Individuals think that reading a book on paper helped them remember more of what they read.

  • As a memento, people frequently underline and make notes in books. This is challenging to perform on an e-reader.

When Kindle was launched in India, at the time, an electronic gadget would icily remove such feelings, thus Indians were hesitant to purchase a Kindle or an e-reader for that matter.

What did the creators do then?

The producers then attempted to alter their communication approach in an effort to draw audiences.

They emphasized the notion of "uninterrupted reading." This lets the audience understand that nothing could stand in the way of them and their book when using the Kindle, adding extra value to their reading experience. The Kindle producers tailored their message to what they called Kindle families in order to reach their target customers.

This was founded on the notion that reading is a habit that is passed down from generation to generation. As a result, readers who have kids made up a sizable portion of their audience.

Stereotypes about e-reading were dispelled by advertising efforts like "We Are the Reader" and the Kindle Paperwhite's no-glare feature.

In short, Amazon Kindle connected to the audience through the way of story-telling. After all, they are all but a story-sharing platform. The importance of story-telling in marketing is briefed about in our blog Storytelling Marketing.

Some of Amazon Kindle’s story-telling campaigns are attached below.

Reading should never stop campaigns:




We are the readers campaign:


Ads were shown on children's channels, where exposure was great, and they concentrated on clearly communicating functional benefits.

Amazon Kindle also used authors in their celebrity endorsements. Amish Tripathi, a well-known novelist, and Kindle worked together to promote the use of the e-reader among Indians.


Ashwin Sanghi and Kindle video:



What convinced people to shift to e-readers then?

  • One Device, Many Books

  • Accessible Everywhere

  • Auto-sync feature

  • Shareable Content

  • Augmented Reality Experience:

Texts and photos may now be integrated with an augmented three-dimensional visual that appears on the user's screen. This is known as the "Shareable Content Augmented Reality Experience." Reading and learning become considerably more immersive when readers have access to a computer-generated 3D representation of the image.

  • Ease for eyes adjustments

  • Read Aloud Function

In conclusion, the Kindle's arrival in India marked a turning point in the country's reading and publishing landscape. The e-reader provided a convenient and accessible way for people to access a vast library of books, magazines, and newspapers. With features such as adjustable text size, a built-in light, and long battery life, Kindle made it easier than ever before to enjoy a reading experience that was comfortable and tailored to individual preferences. Additionally, Kindle's expansion in India also opened up new opportunities for Indian authors and publishers, who were now able to reach a global audience through the Kindle Direct Publishing platform. The impact of Kindle in India has been immense, and it will continue to shape the future of reading and publishing in the country for years to come.


The blog is compiled and written by Ms. Vidhi Thakar who is a content contributor on our website. If you have any questions or feedback, kindly please write back to us.

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