Amazon Pharmacy: Sailing to the Indian Sea

Amazon Pharmacy has entered the Indian e-pharmacy market some time back. Amazon is a techno-centric company that extensively uses technology in the sales and distribution of products to more than 14 million users and over 200+ countries. The success of Amazon is well recognised, but the success of Amazon Pharmacy in India is questionable for two main reasons: first, due to the unique business model of Amazon Pharmacy and, second, due to the ecosystem of e-pharmacy in India and its ambiguous regulatory norms and unique social structure. In this case study, the business model of Amazon Pharmacy is discussed, a critical analysis of the Indian business environment and e-pharmacy industry is done, along with the positioning and SWOT analysis of Amazon Pharmacy. The author questions the survival of Amazon Pharmacy due to ambiguous regulations and unique characteristics of Indian society. But Indian markets always surprise and provide a great opportunity to a new class of businesses from time to time. Therefore, the study foresees a good opportunity to explore the business survival and sustainability amidst an entirely different business environment and regulatory norms. The case study is based on the qualitative approach and discusses the pros and cons of Amazon Pharmacy diversifying into the Indian e-pharmacy market.