Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) in India: What It Is Now
Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) no longer exists under that name. It was Amazon's self-serve marketplace advertising programme, the forerunner of today's Amazon advertising services. In 2018 Amazon folded it into Amazon Advertising, which later became Amazon Ads.
In September 2026 the platform changed again. The former ads console and DSP buying experience now sit inside one platform called Amazon Ads Agent.
This guide explains what Amazon marketing services means for Indian sellers today. It covers the ad types on Amazon.in, how pricing works and how to get started. Bitesu India publishes this guide.
Key takeaways. "Amazon Marketing Services" is the old name: the business is now Amazon Ads, and campaigns run in its Amazon Ads Agent platform. Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, display ads (formerly Sponsored Display) and Stores are all available to eligible advertisers in India. Sponsored Products has no monthly or upfront fee, and cost-per-click Sponsored Brands has no minimum spend; you control cost with bids and daily budgets. Judge results on ACoS, ROAS and TaCoS together, because ACoS alone can look good while total sales stand still.
What this article covers
From AMS to Amazon Ads Agent: A Short Timeline
The business name has changed twice since AMS, and in 2026 the platform got a new name too. The ads you run are mostly the same; the labels around them moved.
| Year | What changed |
|---|---|
| Before 2018 | Amazon ran three ad brands. AMS (Amazon Marketing Services) sold marketplace ads, AMG (Amazon Media Group) sold display and video, and AAP (Amazon Advertising Platform) sold programmatic ads. |
| 2018 | Amazon merged all three into Amazon Advertising. The AMS console became the advertising console, Headline Search Ads became Sponsored Brands, and AAP became Amazon DSP (The Drum). |
| 2021 | Amazon began using the shorter name Amazon Ads (MediaPost). |
| 2025 | At the previous unBoxed, Amazon announced one platform combining the ads console and DSP, as its 2026 announcement recalls (Amazon Ads). |
| 2026 | At unBoxed on 29 September, the unified platform was named Amazon Ads Agent, powered by agentic AI (Amazon Ads). |
What this means for you: if a guide, freelancer or agency still says "AMS", they mean Amazon's sponsored ads. The skills are the same; only the labels moved. Bitesu's unBoxed 2026 round-up covers the September changes in more detail.
What Amazon Marketing Services Covers Today in India
Today, Amazon marketing services in India means the Amazon Ads products you can run on Amazon.in. Availability and eligibility vary by product, so confirm each one in your own account before planning a campaign.
| Ad type | What it does | Who can use it in India | Where it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored Products | Promotes individual products, paid per click | Professional sellers, vendors, KDP authors and agencies | Search results and product detail pages |
| Sponsored Brands | Promotes your brand with a logo, headline, image or video and several products | Professional sellers enrolled in Brand Registry, plus vendors and agencies | Top of search results and other placements |
| Display ads (formerly Sponsored Display) | Reaches shoppers by audience or by product and category, on and off Amazon | Sellers and vendors who meet eligibility rules | Amazon pages and other sites and apps |
| Stores | A free, multi-page brand storefront on Amazon | Sellers in Brand Registry, vendors and agencies | Your own brand page on Amazon.in |
| Programmatic (previously sold as Amazon DSP, now within DVA+) | Buys display, video and audio ads using Amazon audiences | Advertisers, through self-service or managed service | Amazon properties and third-party sites |
Sources: Amazon Ads pages for Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, display ads (India launch: Amazon Ads), Stores and programmatic buying.
Indian sellers often miss these rules:
- Brand Registry unlocks several formats. Sellers need it for Sponsored Brands and Stores. A Store also needs a pending or registered trademark (Amazon Ads, Stores).
- Your offer must be eligible. Sponsored Products only runs on products in eligible categories that hold the Featured Offer (Amazon Ads, Sponsored Products).
A+ Content is not an ad product, but it affects every campaign. It is a Brand Registry feature in Seller Central. Stronger product pages convert more of the clicks you pay for.
Amazon says "Sponsored Display is now known as display ads" (Amazon Ads, display ads). DVA+ is Amazon's display, video and audio campaign type. It brings together Sponsored Display, Sponsored TV and programmatic buying (Amazon Ads).
How Amazon Ads Pricing Works
Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands can run on cost-per-click. You set the most you will pay for a click, and pay only when a shopper clicks (Amazon Ads, Sponsored Products).
- No monthly or upfront fees. Sponsored Products has no monthly or upfront fee (Amazon Ads).
- No minimum spend for CPC Sponsored Brands. Cost-per-click Sponsored Brands campaigns have no minimum spend, and you can pause at any time (Amazon Ads, Sponsored Brands).
- Daily budgets. You set a daily budget per campaign. Amazon notes daily budgets are not paced, so a budget can run out early (Amazon Ads, Sponsored Products).
- Programmatic and display are different. Programmatic buying within DVA+ keeps its own pricing, with self-service and managed-service options (Amazon Ads, programmatic buying). Ask Amazon or your agency for terms.
If you hire an agency, its fee is separate from your ad spend. Agencies usually charge a monthly retainer, a percentage of ad spend, or a hybrid. Compare them on scope and results, and ask for the full first-year cost in writing.
The Metrics That Matter: ACoS, ROAS and TaCoS
Three metrics tell you whether your Amazon ads are working. Each answers a different question.
| Metric | Formula | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| ACoS (advertising cost of sale) | Ad spend ÷ ad sales × 100 | How much do I spend on ads for every ₹100 of ad sales? |
| ROAS (return on ad spend) | Ad sales ÷ ad spend | How many rupees of sales does each ₹1 of ads bring? |
| TaCoS (total advertising cost of sale) | Ad spend ÷ total sales × 100 | Are ads growing my whole business, including organic sales? |
Worked example. A brand spends ₹20,000 on ads in a month. Those ads drive ₹80,000 in sales, and total sales including organic are ₹2,00,000.
- ACoS = ₹20,000 ÷ ₹80,000 = 25%
- ROAS = ₹80,000 ÷ ₹20,000 = 4
- TaCoS = ₹20,000 ÷ ₹2,00,000 = 10%
Now compare ACoS with your break-even ACoS, which equals your profit margin before ad spend. If you keep ₹35 from every ₹100 sale before ads, break-even ACoS is 35%, so a 25% ACoS is profitable.
Watch TaCoS over time. If it falls while total sales rise, that can indicate ads are lifting organic sales. Try your own numbers in Bitesu's free ACoS calculator.
Doing It Yourself vs Hiring Amazon PPC Services in India
Both routes work. The right choice depends on your time, skills and how much is at stake.
| Factor | Do it yourself | Hire Amazon PPC services |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Regular weekly work on search terms, bids and reports | Mainly reviews and approvals |
| Skills | You learn campaign structure, match types and bidding | Specialists who run many accounts and categories |
| Tools | Amazon's console, plus any paid tools you choose | The agency's bid, reporting and research tools |
| Speed | Slower while you learn | Faster restructure and testing |
| Risk | Wasted spend while you learn | Choosing the wrong agency or a vague scope |
| Control | Full, day to day | Shared; keep your account and data in your name |
Doing it yourself suits small catalogues and owners with time to learn. Once ad spend is significant, or you run several marketplaces, consider Amazon PPC services in India.
How to Start With Amazon Ads in 6 Steps
- Enrol in Brand Registry. Register or file your trademark, then enrol. Sellers need it for Sponsored Brands and Stores (Amazon Ads, Stores).
- Build a clear campaign structure. Separate campaigns by product group and goal, and give each match type a distinct role. Bitesu's guide to Amazon PPC campaign structure shows a working setup.
- Research keywords. Start with an automatic campaign to find real search terms. Add your own keyword list from competitors' listings and Amazon's search bar.
- Set bids and budgets. Begin with Amazon's suggested bids and daily budgets you are comfortable with. Check that budgets do not run out early.
- Add negative keywords. Block search terms that spend money without sales. It is one of the quickest ways to cut wasted spend.
- Review every week. Move winning search terms into manual campaigns, cut losers, and track ACoS, ROAS and TaCoS. Use Bitesu's Amazon PPC audit checklist for a monthly health check.
Frequently Asked Questions
QIs Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) still available?
Not under that name: Amazon merged AMS into Amazon Advertising in 2018, which later became Amazon Ads. Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands still exist. In September 2026, Amazon named its unified platform Amazon Ads Agent, combining the former ads console and DSP experience.
QWhat is the difference between vendor and seller access?
Sellers sell directly to shoppers through Seller Central, while vendors sell wholesale to Amazon. Both can run Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands, but sellers need Brand Registry for Sponsored Brands. Feature access can differ between seller and vendor accounts, so check what your own account shows before planning campaigns.
QIs there a minimum budget for Amazon ads in India?
Sponsored Products has no monthly fee, and CPC Sponsored Brands has no minimum spend. Programmatic ads within DVA+ follow different terms, so confirm those with Amazon or your agency. Start with a budget you can sustain for several weeks, so you collect enough data to optimise.
QHow long until Amazon ads show results?
Sales from new campaigns can start within days, but real optimisation needs enough clicks to judge search terms. Timelines depend on category, competition and margins. Most brands should judge a restructure over several weeks, not days.
QShould I hire an agency or a freelancer?
A freelancer can suit a small, single-marketplace account with a simple catalogue. An agency suits brands with larger spend, several marketplaces, or no time to manage ads in-house. Whichever you choose, keep your account in your own name and ask for weekly reporting.
Get a Free Amazon Ads Audit
Amazon marketing services today means Amazon Ads, run through the new Amazon Ads Agent platform. Start with Brand Registry, a clean campaign structure and weekly reviews, and judge results on ACoS, ROAS and TaCoS together.
We are an Amazon Verified Marketing Partner managing growth for 100+ brands (Bitesu India, why us). If you want expert eyes on your account, book a free audit, or see how our Amazon PPC management works.
About the Bitesu India Team
Bitesu India is a Delhi-based marketplace growth agency running advertising, listings and account growth for brands. We work across Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Meesho, Blinkit and Zepto. Facts in this guide were checked against the sources below.
Learn more about how we work with brands or talk to our team.
Sources
- Amazon Ads, Amazon Ads Agent announcement (2026)
- Amazon Ads, Sponsored Products (India)
- Amazon Ads, Sponsored Brands (India)
- Amazon Ads, Display ads (formerly Sponsored Display)
- Amazon Ads, Stores (India)
- Amazon Ads, Programmatic buying (formerly Amazon DSP)
- The Drum, Amazon rebrands ad services divisions as Amazon Advertising (2018)
- MediaPost, Amazon transitions name of ad business to Amazon Ads (2021)
- Amazon Ads, Sponsored Display audiences expands to India
- Bitesu India, Why us
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