Amazon, Swiggy, Zepto race to build agentic AI shopping in India

Amazon deploys Rufus and customer memory ahead of Prime Day (July 4-6), Zepto runs its in-house Zap support system, and Swiggy builds toward app-optional AI shopping. Agentic commerce is projected to grow from $5.7B in 2025 to $65.5B by 2033, with 48% of Indian retailers piloting genAI.

— FiledTue, 7 Jul, 2026, 12:02 IST·First seen Tue, 7 Jul, 2026, 12:01 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Amazon, Swiggy and Zepto are deploying agentic AI in India—Amazon's Rufus assistant and customer memory ahead of Prime Day, Zepto's in-house Zap support system,

Key facts

  • 20% AI-influenced US orders
  • 700% AI traffic YoY
  • $5.7B agentic commerce 2025
  • $65.5B by 2033
  • 48% Indian retailers piloting genAI
  • 75% faster resolution
  • 20% higher positive reviews
  • Prime Day July 4-6

Why this matters

The three-way race among Amazon, Swiggy, and Zepto to own agentic commerce creates a fertile window for partnerships or acquisitions in AI shopping assistants, customer-memory tech, and support automation before category leaders consolidate.

What to watch

  • Prime Day GMV lift attributable to Rufus vs baseline
  • DPDP Act enforcement guidance on AI personalization and consent
  • Agent-driven repeat-purchase / basket-size metrics disclosed by any player
  • Third-party agent interoperability standards (payments, catalog access)
  • Inference cost per session vs incremental revenue disclosures
  • Amazon leverages Prime Day (Jul 4-6) as live stress test for Rufus + memory-driven recommendations
  • Zepto/Swiggy differentiate on speed: agentic reorder tied to sub-15-min delivery for grocery habituation
  • Payment and UPI rails integration for one-tap agent-authorized checkout
  • D2C brands negotiate visibility/data-sharing terms to stay surfaced by platform agents
  • Competitors race to lock proprietary purchase-history data as moat before agent standards emerge