After mysteriously vanishing from Amazon India’s storefront in 2023, Kindle e-readers are officially back—but with a noticeably leaner offering. The return comes via the latest Kindle Paperwhite, which is now the only Kindle model available in India. With a 7-inch 300 PPI display, 16GB storage, IPX8 water resistance, and a battery that can last up to 12 weeks, this 12th-gen Kindle is clearly positioned as a premium device.
But while the specs are appealing, what’s more interesting is understanding why Amazon pulled out in the first place, and why it’s chosen now to come back—albeit cautiously.
The disappearance of Kindles from Amazon India’s website last year was abrupt and never officially explained. However, there were several likely factors behind the decision. One key issue was the weak demand compared to smartphones and tablets, which dominate the Indian market and double as e-book readers through apps like Kindle, Google Play Books, or even PDFs on WhatsApp. Many Indian users also prefer physical books, which remain widely available and often cheaper due to regional publishing. Additionally, high import duties and taxes made even the basic Kindles relatively expensive, limiting their appeal in a price-sensitive market.
There was also a supply chain angle. With global chip shortages, increased logistics costs, and Amazon reevaluating hardware priorities in several regions, India may have simply fallen off the radar during a cleanup of underperforming SKUs. Add to that the fact that Kindle isn’t an ecosystem lock-in device like Fire TV or Echo in markets where Amazon doesn’t sell e-books in local languages, and the pause starts to make more sense. During the hiatus, customers in India had to rely on third-party sellers or grey imports, both of which offered limited warranty support.
So why bring it back now? Kindle still has a loyal niche in India—students, professionals, and travelers who prefer distraction-free reading. The return of the Paperwhite likely reflects Amazon’s recognition of this niche’s value, especially as audiobooks and e-books slowly grow in popularity. But make no mistake: the INR 16,999 price tag means Amazon is targeting premium buyers, not mass adoption. With only one model available (versus five in the US), this re-entry is less about a full-fledged return and more about testing the waters again—with a higher margin product and far less risk.
The Kindle Paperwhite is available here.
