Singapore, Jul 27 (IANS): E-commerce giant Amazon on Thursday launched its Prime Now service in Singapore, a move seen as the start of its expansion in Southeast Asia, the media reported.

The Singapore service promises two-hour delivery on items including groceries and electronics, reports the BBC.

Amazon Prime is a service available to Amazon customers who pay an annual membership fee.

It was first launched in New York in December 2014 and has since expanded to more than 50 major cities in nine countries including India.

Initially Singapore customers will not have pay for a subscription - but while they can order electronics, toys and sports gear as well as food and drink, the service will not initially include other Amazon Prime services including video streaming or Amazon Echo.

Amazon already has a significant presence in India and Japan but according to analysts, Southeast Asia represents one of the biggest battlegrounds for e-commerce firms.