Amazon bets on Alexa-powered Echo speakers to break into rural market

Company feels felt its voice-based solution could cut through literacy barriers far better than any smartphone app

US e-commerce giant Amazon prioritised bringing its Alexa-powered smart speakers to India over other countries where the company had been in business for far longer because it felt its voice-based solution could cut through literacy barriers far better than any smartphone app.

While India has a massive base of 250 million smartphone users, that number still represents just a fifth of the country's population. For the remainder, the company feels a voice-based solution such as Echo and Alexa could be just as potent if not more potent than a smartphone to get them to shop online.

"India is actually the fourth country