Microsoft India has announced a range of price reductions on the retail versions of Windows Vista.

Aimed at benefiting individuals purchasing stand-alone copies of Windows Vista, the price reduction is effective immediately and will be applicable only for Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate editions.

The reduction varies from 13 percent to 39 percent, with the estimated retail price for Windows Vista Home Basic Edition now at Rs. 4,000, Windows Vista Home Premium available for Rs. 5,300 and Windows Vista Ultimate at Rs. 11,500 (all estimated street prices - may vary by city and partner).

"Today, there is a transformation taking place in the way consumers purchase software. With the rise of the retail industry in India, we are witnessing increasing demand for off-the-shelf computer software from the do-it-yourself audiences. This reduction in pricing will enable us to reach out to this set of consumers, while at the same time providing our channel partners with a greater opportunity to sell original software," said Prasanna Meduri, Director – Windows Client Business Group, Microsoft India.

Globally, the revised rates of Windows Vista vary from market to market and the price cut in India is at par with emerging markets