New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS): E-commerce platform Flipkart on Tuesday confirmed that it has expanded its healthcare portfolio to introduce over-the-counter (OTC) medicines on the platform which comprises of ayurvedic, homeopathic and allopathic medicines.

The platform currently hosts over 8,000 products under the healthcare portfolio.

"As consumers increasingly look for preventive care in the wake of the pandemic, it was a natural step for us to scale up our portfolio and launch products across categories such as immunity boosters, respiratory care, diabetic care, digestive care and cardiac care, among others," a Flipkart spokesperson said in a statement shared with IANS.

"In the last six months, we have constantly worked towards ramping up our offerings in this space and currently host more than 8,000 products under this portfolio."

Flipkart, however, is not the only e-commerce player venturing into the medicine delivery business.

Amazon last month announced the start of a trial of the service, Amazon Pharmacy, in Bengaluru.

The e-commerce giant, however, faced criticism from different quarters including an industry body and officials of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an influential offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), for its move to enter into the medicine delivery business in India.

The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which claims to represent more than 850,000 members across the country had demanded that the government should immediately stop what it called the "illegal online pharmacies".