Amazon launches Alexa+ in India with generative AI, Hinglish and smarter voice controls

Amazon has launched Alexa+, its generative AI-powered personal assistant, in India, bringing more conversational voice interactions, personalised responses and the ability to carry out tasks such as controlling smart-home devices, planning meals and helping with shopping.

The service is available from Wednesday under Early Access and is free for eligible customers. It can be accessed through eligible Echo smart speakers and smart displays, Fire TV devices and the Alexa mobile app.

The India launch marks a broader shift for Alexa, with the new version designed to understand natural conversation rather than relying on fixed voice commands. Users can speak in English, Hindi or Hinglish, change topics during a conversation and continue talking without repeating the “Alexa” wake word.

Alexa+ goes beyond voice commands

Alexa+ is designed to act on requests across a range of everyday services. Users can control compatible smart-home devices, create routines, get personalised meal suggestions, discover music and entertainment, build shopping lists and track Amazon.in deliveries.

For example, a user can ask Alexa+ to adjust the temperature because a room is too hot, or switch on a robotic vacuum cleaner by simply describing what they want done.

The assistant can also combine multiple actions in a single request. A user could ask it to change the lights, close the curtains and start Fire TV as part of a movie-time routine.

Amazon is also bringing more third-party services to Alexa+. EazyDiner, Swiggy, District by Zomato, MakeMyTrip, Home Triangle and TripAdvisor are among the services expected to become available soon for restaurant reservations, food delivery, events, travel and home services.

Built for India’s multilingual households

A major focus of the India version is its ability to understand the way people commonly speak at home, including code-mixed Hinglish.

Alexa+ can interpret phrases such as “dhai baje” and “ek paav”, as well as Indian family terms including bhanja, bhateeji, jethani and devar. It is also designed to understand references to Bollywood, cricket, festivals and other elements of Indian culture.

The technology has been developed in part by teams in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai. This includes speech-recognition technology designed for Indian home environments and language models capable of handling code-mixed conversations.

Teena Sidana, country manager for Alexa at Amazon India, said Alexa+ was designed around the multilingual and multi-generational nature of Indian households.

Alexa+ learns household preferences

The assistant can use voice and visual identification to recognise individual members of a household and tailor its responses.

That includes remembering preferences such as dietary restrictions and using them when suggesting recipes. It can also learn entertainment preferences and use household routines to provide reminders or automate tasks.

Shopping is another area where Alexa+ is being expanded. The assistant can help create shopping lists, alert users to price drops on wishlist items, compare product features, summarise verified reviews and track deliveries.

Amazon plans to add Amazon Now, allowing users to search for groceries and everyday essentials, add them to their cart and place orders through voice.

Powered by more than 70 AI models

Under the hood, Alexa+ runs on Amazon Bedrock and an architecture that connects more than 70 large language models, including Amazon's own models and models from Anthropic.

The system is designed to select different models depending on the task. A request to control a smart-home device, for instance, may require a different capability from one involving travel planning or a more complex conversation.

Amazon has also highlighted privacy controls built into the service. Users can review Alexa interactions, listen to what the assistant heard, manage shared attachments and control voice-recording retention through the Alexa Privacy dashboard.

Alexa+ pricing in India

Alexa+ is free for eligible customers during the Early Access period.

After Early Access, it will remain free for Prime members. Prime Lite, Prime Shopping Edition and non-Prime customers will need either a Prime plan or a standalone Alexa+ subscription priced at Rs 2,000 a month.

The service is available on eligible Echo devices, Fire TV devices and the Alexa mobile app, with browser access expected to be added soon.

Amazon has also introduced new Echo devices designed specifically for Alexa+, including the Echo Show 8, Echo Show 11, Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio, with upgraded processing, memory and sensors.