Amazon launches online pharmacy in Bengaluru

Amazon.com Inc on Friday launched an online pharmacy in Bengaluru, the latest move by the e-commerce giant to widen its reach in a key growth market.

The service, Amazon Pharmacy, has begun and will soon offer deliveries across the city, Amazon said. It offers both over-the-counter and prescription-based drugs as well as basic health devices and ayurvedic medicines.

The move comes amid increasing competition in India with rivals Walmart-owned Flipkart, billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s upstart online grocery service JioMart and a range of other smaller players.

Amazon had last month decided to open 10 new warehouses in India and start offering auto insurance. It had also secured clearance for alcohol delivery in the Indian state of West Bengal, Reuters reported in June.