Online retailer Flipkart.com announced on Wednesday its entry into the e-book business. It said its initial collection consisted of more than one lakh books, which could be downloaded onto users’ mobile devices from its digital store Flyte.
However, the e-books can only be read using the proprietary Flyte eBooks application. The app is currently available for the Android operating system, with Windows 8 to follow soon, the company said in a statement.
The company said the eBook prices at its store start at Rs. 30, which is aimed at enticing readers to try the format. About 4,000 titles are also being made available free to customers. Describing to the timing of the launch as being “perfect”, Sameer Nigam, Vice President, Digital, Flipkart.com said the company’s “tech-savvy” users would like to download their favourite books on their mobile instantly. He pointed out that book sales on digital platforms in the U.S. account for about half of all sales. The U.S. eBook market is estimated at $1 billion, he added.
