After food delivery companies Swiggy and Zomato secured state permissions to deliver alcohol at customer doorstep, Online retail giant Amazon is reportedly eyeing to enter the services.
According to a Reuters report, Amazon India has secured clearance from the West Bengal government to deliver alcohol in the state. In a notice, West Bengal State Beverages Corp, the authorised agency to carry out online retail of liquor trade in the state, said Amazon was among the companies found to be eligible for registration with authorities.
Along with Amazon, Alibaba-backed grocery venture BigBasket has also won approval to deliver alcohol in the state, the notice said.
Commenting on the development, BigBasket CEO Hari Menon told PTI, “I cannot confirm now how soon we will start, but yes it will be the first for the company.”
Amazon’s interest in delivering alcohol in West Bengal marks a bold move to make inroads into a market that is worth $27.2 billion, according to estimates by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.
India’s top two food-delivery startups, Swiggy and Zomato, started delivering alcohol in some cities last month, as they looked to cash in on the high demand for booze as many states came out of a lockdown aimed at tackling the coronavirus.
According to media reports, retailers Spencer’s and HipBar have also joined the fray as the government allowed home delivery of alcohol to reduce footfall at stores amid the coronavirus outbreak.
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