Amazon’s Fire TV journey has been nothing short of fascinating. What began as a compact streaming stick has gradually evolved into a complete entertainment ecosystem, one that combines intuitive discovery, AI-powered assistance and a wide range of devices to suit every kind of viewer. Over the years, Fire TV has redefined the way people watch content, blending the convenience of Alexa with a seamless, personalised experience.
In India, that evolution has taken on an even more interesting dimension. It’s a market that’s both value-driven and ahead of the curve when it comes to streaming habits. With the launch of new Fire TV devices, including the 4K Select, and deeper Alexa integration through features like Alexa Plus, Amazon is clearly treating India as a key pillar in its global vision for Fire TV.
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To understand that vision better, we spoke with Aidan Marcuss, Global VP of Amazon Fire TV, and Dilip R.S., Director and Country Manager for Amazon Devices India.
Here are the key excerpts from the conversation.
Aidan, since this is your first visit to India after the latest round of global updates, I’m curious how you see India’s role evolving within Fire TV’s long-term global strategy? And, not just in terms of scale, but the kind of innovation this market pushes you towards.
Aidan: Yeah, it’s been great to visit, and Fire TV and India are perfect for each other. You know, our job with Fire TV is to help people find what they want to watch fast, and there’s more content than ever. There are more services. There are more types of content: short-form content and long-form content. And the innovation we’re really focused on is, how do we help a customer find what’s next? So, we’ve recently launched improvements in Alexa to help customers find content from any variety of sources, and we’re launching new devices like the new 4K Select Stick that brings 4K to a more affordable price point.
And lastly, we’re really investing in televisions. We’ve launched more TVs than ever before this year, including some incredibly well-liked products in this market over the recent launch holidays. That lets us reach more customers and help them find what they want.
So Dilip, building on that, India has this mix of value-conscious buyers and extremely advanced streaming behaviour. What’s driving Fire TV’s traction here today, and what do you think Amazon is getting right in this market?
Dilip: Yeah, I think first, like Amazon, we work customer backwards. We recognise what customers need, so we make sure we have the right selection of apps and localised content, which customers in India look forward to. We also make sure discovery and personalisation kick in, so with a simple click of a button, customers can get access to millions of titles anywhere.
And it’s not just OTT apps but also music and smart home integration. We ensure that we have the right range of products, from the affordable to the most premium devices, so all kinds of customers can plug into the best streaming experience.
Aidan, Alexa is becoming more deeply woven into Fire TV. From a viewer’s perspective, what real-world changes do you expect this new layer of intelligence to bring to the Fire TV experience, especially as people juggle more apps and more content?
Aidan: Yeah, Alexa is special in a lot of ways, but one of the most fundamental is that she understands entertainment. Now she can look across all of your apps and services and help you find what’s next.
What’s new is that she can actually take the conversation further. With Alexa Plus, which we’ve started to roll out, you can have a longer conversation. You can say, ‘I’d like to see some movies tonight with my kids.’ You can tell her the ages of the kids, and she’ll find appropriate content. And when you just can’t watch one more animated movie, you can actually say, ‘No animated films, show me other movies.’ It’s just a small example of using very powerful AI to solve a customer need, I just want to find something right.
Dilip, Amazon just launched the Fire TV 4K Select in India. Where exactly does this device sit between the Fire TV HD and the Fire TV 4K Plus? What does it bring from the higher-end model, and what has been intentionally trimmed to hit this price point?
Dilip: We have the Fire TV Stick HD, which offers a good experience for all our 2K viewers. But if somebody wants to upgrade to a 4K viewing experience, the Fire TV Stick Select is actually the entry product for it, the gateway product.
Then we have the Fire TV Stick Plus and the Fire TV Cube, so customers can get different viewing experiences. For example, in the Select, we get Ultra HD with HDR10+, we get for the first time in India the Fire TV Ambient Experience, and all of the Alexa capabilities that Aidan was just talking about.
And in the higher variants like the Plus, you get Dolby Atmos and Vision, while the Cube gives you a hands-free experience as well. So, we ensure that there’s something special for all kinds of customers, from the entry-level to the premium ones.
Aidan, Amazon has been expanding its OEM partnerships globally. Beyond hardware diversification, what technical or software-level innovations are these collaborations enabling that users might start noticing soon?
Aidan: Each of our TV partners makes great products, and they make their own unique versions. Some examples of areas that we partner with them include picture quality; each one has a different point of view about how to make picture quality great. So, we integrate those settings right into the Fire TV experience. You don’t have to jump out to some other app or menu; it’s integrated right in.
They’re also starting to adopt some new technologies like far-field microphones, which let you just talk to your TV, so you don’t need to pick up your remote. You’re now talking directly to Alexa. So, an example of hardware innovation coupled with Alexa’s software intelligence really transforms the TV viewing and discovery experience.
Aidan, competition in the streaming device space has become intense, both globally and in India. From your vantage point, what does Amazon see as Fire TV’s biggest differentiator today, and what do you want it to stand for in the next few years?
Aidan: I think we’ve always taken the point of view that we want to put content in front of customers first, not apps. We take it upon ourselves, and I think it’s critical to put content, whether it’s from an app, a channel, a cable box, or even a short-form clip, all in front of the customer, all personalised and super easy to access.
That’s our point of view. When you put Alexa on top of that, with powerful AI, it lets us take it a step further, not just showing a list of recommendations, but letting you navigate in a way that’s natural. So, coupling a powerful entertainment assistant with a content-forward experience is what will make the magic happen.
Dilip, India’s streaming landscape is rapidly evolving, with new apps, formats and regional content trends. What kind of local integrations, software optimisations or partnerships are you focusing on to make Fire TV feel more India-first?
Dilip: Aidan just talked about how we put content forward, and I think our first step is understanding the content consumption of Indian customers. We’ve seen customers move on from just drama genres to all kinds of content: international shows, Korean shows, everything. So, we ensure that all kinds of content are available to them.
Second, we also see a big demand for news. In fact, just last year, we observed that customers spent almost an hour every day catching up on news, so making that easily available is important. And finally, there’s gaming. We’ve just launched the Xbox app on our Select Fire TV products, so customers don’t even need a console, they can access all the gaming apps directly through a Fire TV Stick. That’s putting power in the hands of customers, right on their TVs.
Aidan, looking ahead, Fire TV now feels less like a set of devices and more like a platform. As you expand the 4K line-up and roll out new software capabilities, what’s the long-term vision for Fire TV, both as a product ecosystem and as a unified streaming layer?
Aidan: I think of Fire TV really as an entertainment experience, and we use hardware to deliver that to customers. Looking forward, I see two things. One is that we’ll continue to expand into TVs and partner with more TV makers who build models across all price points, because when it’s time to buy a new TV, you expect it to come with a great entertainment experience.
And then our sticks will continue to push the boundaries. How do we let someone upgrade their TV and get the latest AI assistant by just buying a stick and plugging it in?
Looking ahead, you’ll see more sensor innovation. We’ve launched TVs now that not only have far-field microphones but can also sense when you’re in the room, turning on when you walk in, or off when you walk out. This ability for the TV to blend into your home environment, not just as a box but as a part of your life, is key.
And as Dilip mentioned, gaming too is becoming integral. You come in, it turns on, shows your photos, you pick up your show, and then pick up a gaming controller and play. It transforms the TV from being a static screen to something that fits naturally into your everyday life.
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