Amazon has launched Alexa+, its generative AI-powered voice assistant, in India with support for English, Hindi, and Hinglish, according to medianama.com. The service is available through an Early Access program during which Alexa+ is free. After this period, Prime members will continue to access Alexa+ for free, while others must subscribe for Rs 2,000 per month or upgrade to the full Prime plan.
Alexa+ replaces the previous Alexa version by using generative AI to maintain conversational context and understand less structured requests. It can perform tasks such as managing smart-home devices, playing media, suggesting and ordering products, providing meal recommendations, managing schedules, and drafting emails. Buyers of certain new Echo and Fire TV devices receive immediate access, while others can request Early Access, the report said.
Amazon said users in India interacted with Alexa over nine billion times in the past year, highlighting the assistant's widespread adoption. Unlike the earlier Alexa that relied on predefined commands and skills, Alexa+ acts as an AI agent capable of carrying out tasks on users’ behalf, marking a shift in how voice assistants operate in the Indian market.
Amazon has not specified when the Early Access period will end, according to the company blog post cited by medianama.com. The launch of Alexa+ in India reflects Amazon’s investment in generative AI to enhance user experience and expand its smart assistant capabilities in one of its key markets.