How to Buy a Kindle in India: Best Model to Choose (2026)
Want to buy a Kindle in India? It’s easy now. In 2010 we had to order a Kindle 3G from Amazon.com, paying $20.98 shipping and $73.94 import duty for a total of $283.92, though it arrived in just three days. Today Amazon.in sells every current Kindle directly with fast delivery, EMI options and Indian warranty. Here’s which Kindle to choose in 2026 and how to buy it.
Quick answer: Buy your Kindle from Amazon.in for local warranty, easy returns and no import duty. Choose the basic Kindle for budget reading, the waterproof Kindle Paperwhite for most people, the Kindle Colorsoft for colour covers and comics, or the Kindle Scribe if you want to write notes. Watch for big discounts during Prime Day and the Great Indian Festival sale.
Table of Contents
Which Kindle should you buy in India?
- Kindle (basic): small, light and the cheapest way to read e-books with a glare-free screen and front light. See Kindle prices on Amazon.in.
- Kindle Paperwhite: larger, sharper screen, waterproof, warm light and long battery life. The best choice for most readers. See Kindle Paperwhite on Amazon.in.
- Kindle Colorsoft: colour E Ink display for book covers, comics and highlights. See Kindle Colorsoft on Amazon.in.
- Kindle Scribe: a big screen with a pen for notes, annotations and journaling. See Kindle Scribe on Amazon.in.
How to buy a Kindle in India
- Visit Amazon.in and choose your Kindle model, storage and colour.
- Check bank offers, no-cost EMI and exchange deals at checkout.
- Compare storage sizes; 16 GB holds thousands of books, but more helps for comics and audiobooks.
- When it arrives, sign in with your Amazon.in account to see your Kindle books.
- Add a cover to protect it; see our guide to the best Kindle covers and cases.
Why buy from Amazon.in instead of importing?
- No import duty or international shipping, unlike our 2010 order.
- Indian warranty and service, with easy returns.
- Kindle Store in rupees with Indian payment options, including UPI.
- Kindle Unlimited India subscription for thousands of books.
Electronics chains such as Croma sometimes stock Kindles too, which lets you see one before buying; compare their price and offers with Amazon.in.
Tips for Kindle owners
- Find free classics and deals; see how to get Kindle books free.
- Send documents to your Kindle by email using your Send-to-Kindle address.
- Gifting? Here’s how to gift a Kindle.
Our first Kindle story
We still remember our first Kindle arriving from the US in 2010, with free 3G that worked in India. You can see it in our Kindle unboxing photos. Buying locally is far simpler and cheaper now.
How Kindle came to India: a short history
- October 2010: no Indian seller, so we imported a Kindle 3G from Amazon.com for $283.92 including shipping and import duty.
- December 2010: newspaper ads announced the first Indian sale, through Indiatimes Shopping, at Rs 9,315 for the Wi-Fi Kindle and Rs 12,296 for Wi-Fi + 3G (plus Rs 299 shipping), roughly the same as importing.
- August 2012: Amazon made Kindle officially available through Croma stores from Rs 6,999 and opened the India Kindle Store, with over a million e-books priced in rupees, plus Kindle Direct Publishing for Indian authors.
- 2013 onwards: Amazon.in launched and became the main place to buy every Kindle model in India.
FAQ
Is Kindle cheaper in India or the US?
After shipping and import duty, buying on Amazon.in is usually cheaper and comes with local warranty.
Can I use an Amazon.com account on a Kindle bought in India?
Yes, but books and prices follow your account’s country. Most Indian readers should use their Amazon.in account.
Can I buy a Kindle in a shop in India?
Sometimes. Electronics chains such as Croma have sold Kindles since 2012, but Amazon.in has the full range and most offers.
When is the best time to buy a Kindle in India?
Prime Day and the Great Indian Festival usually bring the biggest Kindle discounts.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, QuickOnlineTips earns from qualifying purchases.
Get our free weekly email: new tech guides and tools, no spam.
New and updated tech guides, a free tool worth bookmarking and one useful pick, once a week. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
One email a week. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.
Cheapest I saw was from grabmore.in. I recently bought from them I got it quickly delivered. Price included shipping anc customs. I think they have stock in India you can buy kindle in india from
It is cheaper to get one from 20north
The best deal is to buy Kindle with wifi and offers @ US$ 114. The offers is just a screen saver with ads and you can stop wifi when you don’t need it and use it far longer (20 days) per charge. Also I believe UK Amazon gives free shipping to India but you have to pay duty.
Kindle is great ,It is really great to read books there ..Hope I will get soon ..Thanks for the tip
Thanks. Very helpful article.
Does 3G work properly and free in India as well? I was told by some friends that it doesn’t work here.
Also have you by any chance visited any other country with your kindle after buying and found the free 3G coverage working properly there?
Thanks for the help.
I am planning to get 2 kindles from US through my friend, what do you suggest? anything i need to take care while getting it from US? Will they allow to get 2 kindles ? Thanks mate :)
hi, i have a doubt, how is the payment made to Amazon, is it through indian credit / debit card or through a thrid party site? and what is the conversion rate charged / additional charges levied by the bank?
Why buy a device for kindle alone ..Buy any android phone and kindle apps comes free with it …You get a device which has ebook reader and also smartphone with android OS.
can we read PDF books on kindle? is the experience of reading PDF books same as reading books bought from amazon?i have a huge collection of PDF books which i want to read
I bought it from new york. it is not locked. working fine with free 3g wherever i go. wifi with 3g and cover cost me only 220 dollars. the tax of 20 dollars can be reclaimed from the us airport from where you are leaving
I have just purchase kindle online.
It is most convenient for e-book reading only in English
& some other foreign lenguage.Our rural language can not be kindle formatted.
Just received the covers I had ordered for the Kindle and Nook color. Good quality. Cost me approx USD 15/- including shipping. Used ebay seller skindigital from Hongkong. Delivery time 3 weeks.
Hi guys!
Bought a wifi kindle from Amazon. Smooth process. Shipping took 3 days. Total cost 9600 Rs. Also no octroi charged for Pune.
Also bougt a nook color from cart2india. They took 7 days to ship it and then another 11 days for it to reach me. Cost me 17100Rs plus Rs 45/- octroi. Just thought i’d share the info.
Few questions
1) How will any one replace battery in Kindle once they go bad (say after 1 yr)
2) Native support for PDF is very restrictive.. There are lot of page flows issues.
Just had a problem with a faulty battery. Impossible to replace in India and since my kindle is just over a year old Amazon’s only solution is to say “buy another” ! AMAZON is a lamentably BAD EXPERIENCE as far as I am concerned. 200 $ down the drain. So I’ll probably replace it with a Mac or Samsung who will give me after sales resolutions for any possible problems.
Hello,
1. Suppose a friend in US buy graphite Kindle and take it over to India for me. Can I use the Wi-Fi and 3G facilities and all other download options on it ? For these, I need to register in amazone ?The registration and buying can be done by two different persons, as in the above situation ?
2. Can I attach an external hard disc or pen drive to Kindle and read my stored pdf and DJvu files on it ?
3. Is it preloaded with e-texts ?
4. DC Books in Kerala is offering an e-book reader costing around Rs.9000/-. What qualities should I look for in an e-book reader [as,for example,the e-ink pearl technology of Kindle] ?
You can buy Free books if they are available to your country…
Normally ebooks cost very low at amazon.com
visit Kindle store @ amazon.com
Happy Reading..
Can I download books in India from kindle for free. if not free how much do i pay
Could you please try and see whether that option is still there, I would love to have a white Kindle and more imply a power adapter for free via which i can charge me ipod as well.
Thanks in advance.
How can we ship the white 3g Kindle to India with the US power adapter.
when i go to checkout it shows it can’t be shipped to India.
How did you do it?
See the article. Buy the white and then while checking out, use the international shipping. We bought a graphite one finally.
Read the article already and all the comments as well.
when i select the address to ship to and check out this is what it shows
“Important Message
Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 3G Works Globally, White, 6″ Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology cannot be shipped to the selected address. A non-US address was selected for this US-only Kindle. For the best wireless coverage and fastest shipping to India, please visit the non-US Kindle page and choose the country in which this Kindle will be used.”
I guess they seem to have changed the policy for selling white kindles now.
gr8 news….but can anyone tell me what happens if there is a problem with the device….i heard that amazon replaces it immediately but for that do i need to send it back to US? how much will this process cost me? and will i again have to go through all the customs and stuff? becoz again paying that 20$+60$ (when the new one returns) would add heavily to the cost!
they will refund the shipping costs to your amazon account…you can buy something on amazon using that money
Read here details about Kindle Refund Policy
this is just gr88 news…i was looking for ways to get a kindle….this info gives me one option atleast…i will try to place online order if i dont get anyone coming soon from USA.
You will save the shipping costs (free super saver shipping) and import duty fees if you ship it to a friend coming from USA.
instead of all radiation emitting devices can we get projector type devices which are better to eyes and we can take it handy to anywhere and focus on white screen or wall. where can we get such projecting devices at cheap rates.
Kindle has special E-Ink Pearl technology which causes least eye strain.
can u plz send me the link from where i can order white kindle to india
We can order kindle in 3 ways US, UK, International. But for INDIA you can order through International. For International customer there is no white kindle.
You can order white Kindle also. Go through the US page and do not select the Country India page. Then when you are through final shipping, your Kindle will automatically get the USB cable for International shipping.
hi can u tell me from where i can get white kindle for shipment to india
white colour is only available for the 3g model and you can buy it directly from amazon
@Artur, The main problem is getting it stuck in customs, they send it via US Priority mail (I guess there will be no tracking number to track it in India. I haven’t received my 100$ parcel since more than 4 months and no info from our customs/postoffice and I can’t follow up as there is no tracking information. just I know that it has landed in india), I guess you can try ebay.in(but more pricey and no warranty)
Can anyone confirm if you get a tracking number where you can track the parcel?( I mean in India with status like – waiting for custom Clearance in XYZ office status update when it is in my city etc etc.)
Recently I bought kindle through Amazon., I am able to track clearly from Amazon site as well as DHL site.
Thats right. You can find out exactly where your Kindle is while it is on its way via the Amazon account.
Hey Guys, nice to read your blog.
I fail to understand why people are still buying the Kindly, when there are proper tablets available for a little more price.
For USD 283 which is approx Rs. 13,000 I personally feel the Kindle isnt worth it.
Kindle is dead technology, which they are trying to promote in “Developing countries” now.
I bet with the launch of Ipad, Samsung Galaxy Tab or other tablets lined up to be launched, the Kindle is history.
I personally own a Galaxy Tab and am happy didnt buy the Kindle last time I visited London. I almost bought it though.
Amazon Kindle for Android, is an app which lets me read all the Kindle e-Books on the Galaxy Tab.
There are Magazines as well. India Today gets delivered to my Galaxy Tab and mind you – In Full Colour.
I would advise people to invest a little more and get a Tablet. Or if it doesnt fit your budget, wait a couple of months.
Tablets are getting cheaper and at least 10 – 15 new brands of tablets are expected by end of 2011.
Happy Tabbing !
you know what kindle caters to a different market. It is a dedicated ebook reader with a display designed to read like paper. A person who reads a lot of books would find it useful. Tablets on the other hand are for people who consume a lot of multimedia content on the move. Further the display is not optimized for specifically reading purposes.
So claiming that kindle is old tech doesn’t make sense.
Kindle has special eink technology that allows long hours of reading novels without eye strain. You cant read for hours on an Apple iPad or Galaxy Tab.
This is bogus! They are buying from Amazon and selling here and hiding the extra charges!
Dear All,
I am foreigner working in India (Orissa).
I need your advice.Please be so nice and let me know if I can be relaxed buying Kindle that the shipment will reach my address in India and will not disappear on the way. The Kindle is not 5 $ device so I am a bit worried if this expensive gadget will come to my hands as it was sent from USA. The comments above are confirming that there is nothing to worried about but please let me know your point of view
Hi,
You need not worry. I have my two kindle shipped to India. It reaches you within a week!
Can some one tell me how is like to read with kindleas against a real book
the times online store advertises kindle wifi and 3g models–is it okay to order thru them
The gadget looks good but are the books expensive?i heard that the starting price is 10 dollars. Does the kindle come with books preloaded?I hope someone answeres this.
I ordered 3g kindle and its cover.Now the cover has come,by dhl courier,eventhough I paid importtax while purchasing, now dhl is asking for 800RS more for the cover. Kindle will be shipped after two weeks.
Anybody faced such problem of additional payment?
Amazon charges excess import fees and will refund the excess amount. It is surprising you get to pay extra to DHL.
Nice to hear that…
kindle is really a cool device
I purchased it on 17 dec but it will reach between 12 – 24 jan 2011
Total paid amount : 268.92
It seems to be cheaper now. :-)
3G version works with GPRS also and it takes max 1 min for books to download. There are also 3 free games which u can play in kindle. Few other games are also there but they are paid. Best part is I can read any pdf directly or convert it into kindle format and read it.
Can you play those 3 games in India? I cant get them to work?
I guess the amount is reduced now I ordered the new kindle 3 wifi 3g the details below:
Item(s) Subtotal: $189.00
Shipping & Handling: $20.98
—–
Total Before Tax: $209.98
Estimated Tax To Be Collected: $0.00
Import Fees Deposit $59.00
—–
Grand Total: $268.98
which you mentioned $283
What about 3g in INDIA? is it working how the performance of the kindle post your comments about that
The import duties are approximately deducted at the time of purchase. later if they charged you more they will refund to your account.
I have wifi only version, so no idea about 3G. But think it will be good provided you get the signal. If you dont, it will work on EDGE / GPRS
I didn’t see any refund of import duties to our account.
I bought the kindle online from Amazon, awaiting the delivery. In india there was an advert in ET 12 Nov for shopping.indiatimes.com/ro that sold the kindle for around 9K change.
If I ask someone from the USA to buy for me, will be able to access the Amazon store and buy books from it?
The kindle is not locked. It works on wifi and free 3G. But some books, blogs, newspapers and services are restricted in India. Do read the fine print.
the only shameful part is the import fees.the sarkar wants its hafta even though it provides no services in this transaction between buyer and seller.GOI should remove tarrifs on goods which arent available locally atleast
Import fees is definitely a large part of the cost of import to India.
Absolutely true. Kindle is no threat to any indian product yet the greedy politicians have to take their cuts.
its the same with motorcycles import policy – they charge 150% duty on motorcycles of the capacity that are simply not made in India.
The saddest thing about this is the accurate comment made by Pravin
While they are happy to charge us this exorbitant fee, they in no part contribute to the ownership experience at all .
its disgusting
Sorry i forgot to post in the previous comment are the free books available for free or as i heard will you be charged 2$ extra for every book(even the free one’s)
So the 3g works in india and is it free?
Yes. Free 3G!
If Kindle mention all the countries the download services available which helps the customer in buying part.
i have never tried this actually , but soon i will !!! :)
thanx
Wao that was fast… what else i can buy other books music video etc..any geeky gadgets i can buy ?
Pretty cool discovery! I’m not sure if the device is available in the secondary markets here. But getting it shipped right from Amazon is a good option for those who want to buy it and don’t mind the extra fee.
Amazon Kindle is not available in most markets I checked (poor demand?), unlike the iPad which you can still buy at premium prices (without bill or warranty) from many shopping plazas selling foreign goods.
This is the best way to get the original, duty paid Kindle with full warranty.