Amazon Kindle finally gets support for Hindi and other Indian languages

Kindle app and tablet users in India can now read books in several local languages.

Amazon says it has added "thousands" of ebooks in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati and Malayalam languages to its Kindle store. The catalog includes "the largest digital selection of best sellers," and several exclusive titles.

In addition to Kindle tablets, Amazon says it has also updated Kindle apps on Android and iOS platforms to include support for Indian languages. Amazon's rival Google Play Books also supports Hindi and other Indian languages.

Some of the titles include 'Ishq Mein Shahar Hona’ by Ravish Kumar (Hindi), 'Rajaraja Chozhan' by Sa. Na. Kannan (Tamil), 'Mrutyunjay' by Shivaji Sawant (Marathi), 'Ek Bija Ne Gamta Rahiye' by Kaajal Oza Vaidya (Gujarati) and 'Aarachar' by K R Meera (Malayalam).

“We are excited to offer readers the largest digital selection of best sellers in five Indian languages. All you need is an Android or iOS device, or a Kindle eReader to get started. This is another step in our ongoing work to provide more choice and selection to Indian readers,” said Rajiv Mehta, Kindle India Country Manager.

The move further establishes Amazon’s position in the ebook marketplace in India. In late October, the company purchased Westland, a subsidiary of Tata Group firm Trent, to bolster each other's physical and digital book businesses in India.