Amazon Launches Alexa+ in India: AI Assistant Speaks Hindi, Hinglish and Can Book Flights, Order Food

Amazon has launched its all-new Alexa+ generative AI assistant in India, bringing a more conversational and personalised version of Alexa to Echo devices, Fire TV and the Alexa mobile app.

Available in Early Access from today, Alexa+ is free for eligible customers during the initial period. The new assistant is designed to understand natural conversations in English, Hindi and Hinglish, while carrying out tasks across smart home control, shopping, meal planning, entertainment and travel.

Alexa+ Can Understand Hindi and Hinglish

Unlike the traditional Alexa experience, users do not need to repeat the wake word after every instruction. They can continue a conversation naturally, switch between topics and use a mixture of English and Hindi without losing context.

For example, a user can ask Alexa+ to identify a Bollywood song using a Hindi-English description and have it play the relevant track. The assistant is also designed to understand Indian expressions, measurements and family relationships, including terms such as "dhai baje", "ek paav", "bhanja" and "jethani".

Amazon says teams in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai worked on the technology behind Alexa+'s Indian-language and cultural capabilities, including speech recognition designed for Indian home environments and models capable of understanding code-mixed Hinglish.

Alexa+ Can Control Your Smart Home Naturally

The new assistant can control compatible smart home devices without users having to remember specific device names or commands.

Users can give instructions such as asking Alexa+ to cool down a room or clean the floor, with the assistant determining which connected devices need to be activated. It can also control multiple devices through a single voice request and create smart home routines.

Compatible products from brands including Atomberg, Qubo, Dreame and Wipro are supported.

Alexa+ can also connect different services in a single interaction. For example, users can ask it to adjust the living room lights according to the music playing and carry out the lighting changes automatically.

Amazon Expands AI-Powered Shopping

Alexa+ also brings more advanced shopping capabilities to Amazon's ecosystem.

The assistant can create shopping lists based on household preferences, notify users about price drops on wishlist items, recommend products, compare product features, summarise verified reviews and track Amazon deliveries.

Amazon says Alexa+ will soon support Amazon Now, allowing users to order groceries and everyday essentials entirely through voice commands. Customers will be able to search for products, select them, add them to the cart and place an order through a conversation, with Amazon Now subsequently handling delivery.

Travel and Restaurant Bookings Coming Soon

Alexa+ is also being integrated with third-party services to expand what users can accomplish through voice.

Amazon says support for EazyDiner, Swiggy, District by Zomato, MakeMyTrip, Home Triangle and TripAdvisor is coming soon. This will allow Alexa+ to handle tasks such as restaurant reservations, food delivery, dining reservations, travel bookings, home services and travel planning.

For entertainment, Alexa+ can work with Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn, Prime Video and Netflix, allowing users to discover music, podcasts and films based on descriptions, moods or activities.

Alexa+ Learns Household Preferences

Personalisation is another major part of the new Alexa experience.

Alexa+ can use voice and visual identification to recognise different members of a household and tailor responses accordingly. For instance, it can remember that a family member is vegetarian or has certain dietary restrictions and factor those preferences into recipe recommendations.

It can also learn routines and provide reminders based on them, such as turning on lights around sunset, reminding users to check the gas or prompting them to lock the house before going to bed.

Alexa+ Privacy Features

Amazon says Alexa+ has been designed with privacy and security controls built in.

The Alexa Privacy dashboard allows users to review their interactions, listen to what Alexa heard, review shared attachments and configure voice-recording retention settings. Alexa-enabled devices also include microphone and camera controls, along with visual indicators showing when Alexa is listening.

Alexa+ Availability and Price in India

Alexa+ is available from September 16 in Early Access at no additional cost for eligible customers using supported Echo smart speakers and smart displays, Fire TV devices and the Alexa mobile app. Browser access is also planned.

After Early Access ends, Alexa+ will remain free for Prime plan members. Prime Lite, Prime Shopping Edition and non-Prime customers will be able to access Alexa+ through a standalone subscription priced at Rs 2,000 per month or through a Prime plan.

Amazon is also introducing new Alexa+ focused hardware, including the Echo Show 8, Echo Show 11, Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio, which feature additional processing power, memory and next-generation sensors designed for the new assistant.

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