The recent GST recalibration, or the GST 2.0, has fuelled interest among smart television buyers on Amazon as the e-commerce platform has witnessed nearly double digit year-over-year (YoY) growth in the first 48 hours of the Great Indian Festival 2025, with Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets surging by 25% and 30% YoY, respectively, said Zeba Khan, Director, Consumer Electronics, Amazon India, in an interaction with The Hindu.
“Premium segments, including QLED TVs, mini-LEDs and 55-inch+ models are driving this growth. Our fastest-growing segments are 55-inch and 75-inch TVs,” said Zeba.
From a technology standpoint, QLED and mini-LED TVs, representing the latest advancements, are seeing the highest traction, she added. GST on smart televisions, above 32 inches, was brought down to 18% from 28%, in the 56th GST Council meet.
Zeba said that at the start of the Amazon’s Great Indian Festival 2025, 55-inch TVs were available at roughly 43-inch prices, and 75-inch TVs at 55-inch prices.
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Earlier, Amazon had shared that they recorded 38 crore customer visits in the first 48 hours of the festival. “In the consumer electronics category, growth is robust and double-digit,” said Zeba.
According to her, this growth is broad-based, spanning smartphones, large appliances, televisions, personal computing, especially premium segments, and home audio. “A significant portion of this growth is coming from tier 2 and tier 3 cities, which are expanding much faster, with strong demand for premium products.”
Trends indicate that premium segments within consumer electronics, such as AI-powered computing, large entertainment screens, and smarter home appliances, are growing even faster than the overall double-digit growth.
Smartphones, which haven’t got any benefit from the new GST rates, are selling at their sharpest pricing on Amazon, said Zeba. “This year, we are explicitly focusing on providing our customers with the lowest prices of the year on smartphones, eventually attracting a large number of customers to explore our offerings. While GST hasn’t decreased on mobile phones, reductions in other everyday essentials and categories have left more disposable income with customers, enabling them to invest in premium electronics.”
Zeba told us that overall smartphone category is growing double-digit YoY. “The premium segment (+20,000 and above) is growing at 50% value growth, and there is a 30% average selling price (ASP) increase that we are observing. It remains the fastest growing segment on Amazon.” Tier 2 and beyond markets are also recording 50% of value growth in premium smartphones.
Amazon said that Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, and iQOO continue to drive the premiumisation trend, driven by 5G in the smartphone category. “Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is witnessing a 4x growth. Apple iPhones have witnessed very strong double-digit growth and are also driving the growth of the category.” These patterns are evident across the nation.
“We are seeing significant interest in AI-powered devices. One in five Windows laptops we sell is an AI-enabled PC. We are also witnessing strong demand for premium tablets with such features. For instance, the iPad Air M3 saw a 300x surge, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 saw a 430x surge, and the MacBook Air M4 saw a 150x surge,” said Zeba.
Amazon’s AI-enabled Rufus assistant on the app has seen over 10 million customers interact with it. Rufus provides product information, summaries, helps compare products, and answers questions. “We are seeing a significant increase in AI-driven customer interactions.”
On the affordability part, Zeba said Amazon is not only offering the lowest prices of the year on smartphones, but also focuses heavily on financing options to ensure customers get the best value. “No-cost EMI has seen over 30% penetration on premium products. Similarly, a 10% cashback with bank partner continues through the Great Indian Festival.” For Prime customers, they have a co-branded ICICI credit card that offers an evergreen 5% cashback.
Amazon’s ongoing Great Indian Festival 2025 will continue until Diwali. “We expect strong momentum, with multiple topical events such as Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, and various regional festivals, keeping excitement high. Typically, we see a surge in the final days, so we are confident it will conclude on a good note,” said Zeba.
Published – September 30, 2025 05:55 pm IST