New Delhi: Amazon Inc. chief executive Jeff Bezos may have been given a cold shoulder by the Narendra Modi government, but he has found his way to directly talk to his Indian customers — through an open letter on his website.
Bezos posted a letter on Amazon.in Friday. He wrote, “I’m excited to share that we will invest an incremental US $ 1 billion to digitise micro and small businesses in cities, towns and villages across India, helping them reach more customers than ever before.”
This comes a day after Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said Amazon and Flipkart are “not doing a great favour” by investing billions of dollars in India.
“They (Amazon and Flipkart) may have put in billions of dollars here, but if they make a loss, then they jolly well will have to finance that billions of dollars. It’s not as if they are doing a great favour to India by investing a billion dollars here. They have been investing for years here now in warehousing and financing their loss,” he said at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi Thursday.
ThePrint has reported that Bezos, who is on a three-day visit to India from Wednesday, had sought meetings with top government officials, but the appointments were not given. This has been a rare instance of the Modi government not welcoming a big foreign investor.
‘Indians have inspired me’
In his open letter, Bezos also wrote that the “boundless” energy and “grit” of Indian people had inspired him.
“Over 5,50,000 small and medium businesses are using the Amazon.in marketplace to offer India’s largest selection of products,” he wrote.
“Karigar and Saheli have enabled over a million artisans and women entrepreneurs to go online. More than 60,000 businesses are exporting ‘Make in India’ products globally, with cumulative exports exceeding US $ 1 billion,” the letter stated.
There have been reports claiming that it has been a hard time for foreign e-markets in India owing to resistance from local traders and other lobbies.
Bezos highlighted these concerns in his letter. “…as part of this initiative, we will use Amazon’s global footprint to enable US $ 10 billion in exports of Indian products to the rest of the world by 2025. Our investments in India will create an additional 1 million jobs across the country by 2025.”
The letter also stressed the importance of sustainable growth and Amazon’s commitment towards it.
“Amazon is invested in sustainable growth and is the first company to sign the Climate Pledge with a commitment to meet the Paris Accord ten years early.”
The letter said Amazon intends to eliminate single-use plastic from its fulfilment networks in India by June this year. The e-commerce giant is also increasing its electric rickshaw fleet in India by 10,000.
Also read: Jeff Bezos should worry about Mukesh Ambani, not Modi govt’s probe against Amazon
FDI in retail created over a million jobs. Vendors like Decathlon have setup shop and providing good wages to people like me.
Amazon is another example of success for over 1 lakh vendors on its platform.
Reliance will only please Gujrat’s Bhai and Ben’s sitting in Mumbai / Ahmedabad.
If Bezos creates jobs …he helps the economy. Piyush goyal is only thinking of parimal nathwani giving him a seat in Gujrat cricket board and BCCI via reliance support.
Amazon has cumulatively provided more jobs to Indians than the last 6 years of this govt has helped create. So instead of snubbing the foreign investors, this baniya party should behave in a more rational manner. It seems they want to clean the market for Ambani e-retail by marginalising amazon and flip kart. Indian consumer is going to suffer because of that. Govt should work towards creating a competitive market so that customers can benefit instead of creating a monopoly by favouring someone like ambani. They did the same in telecom, and now we are going to pay heavy prices, already tarrifs have started increasing. Educated indians should understand this sooner than later. Or else you are all going to pay.
India is not Pakistan. Dont show us money .We are not beggars for your money. You need us more and we dont need you at all. We will boycott Amazon. s
Yes bro
Yes bro
Indian should make their own bharat online platform mukesh ambani can do it in far better way
I agree with the government taking steps to protect small Indian traders . The unorganised sector is also stake holders of our indirect economy…Kumbakonam Ravichandran
Let Govt. take good initiatives to controll the e marketing giants from entering deep inside to our nation’s economy otherwise the petty traders who are the backbone of employment in unorganised sector are being effected.
This news is baised! They haven’t even mention the accusations made on Amazon by Goyal about their loss incurrence due to predatory pricing. Amazon has huge capital to replenish the lost funds. Meanwhile our sellers are running out of business which is literally their bread and butter, which is frankly unethical and unfair.
You mean the time before Amazon or Flipkart where stores will literally loot customers with their rude and unethical practices. If any local traders or shopkeepers wanted to survive, let them do it by serving customers. And this government is f@#k up, appealing for MNCs to invest and Make In India, just to literally shoo them away just because they can do so.
Looks more Strange when government is trying to hook up defaulters & much of our Indian media behaving orthodox. … Carry on the good work Piyush Goyalji
This govt just wants to make happy Ambani and Baba. Soon Baba Ramdev will be the richest man after Ambani
Yes,I fully endorse the views of
Mehulji.Amazon is trying to vean away the small business owners in India.Definitely,Jef is not doing any favour to India. Modiji and his Govt understands this Ploy very well. I am not a Business man. I am a Consumer. But I am a Indian who cares for the India’s Progress and Indian business.
Jeff Bezos would make a better PM than Pakistan language limited Narendra Modi who treats the original India language people as foreigners in India. At least Jeff Bezos speaks English not the cow belt Islamic language Hindi / Urdu which has only contributed to the backwardness of the benefited states of the North.
It was rather unusual for a star rated investor and job provider rated highly by all to be treated in this manner by the PM and his sycophantic ministers.
In a Climate of Joblessness and lack of worthwhile Investment,it is time that the PM and his Gang start walking the Talk.
Good decision by Amazon boss. We are not buying foreign goods through Amazon.Indian goods are buying in a deciplined manners keeping customer’s choice on top. Several instances are there when a TV set from a MNC brand not replaced with in 15 days of delivery for not working but simply repaired . But on line system we can claim refund . There are several instaces. A lot of youths engage in good quality job
like delivery ,warehouse supervision,customer grievance addressal etc. in online business. Huge sellers attached with Amazon. I think BJP aligned few traditional traders from some selected region are giving pressure to Minister in the fear of their business hegemony being snatched away by large no’s of small traders allover India.
Modiji is visionary prime minister he well aware the Chinese tactics of business. First they showing lollipop and then start to pull everything from you. The strategy of present government is very right and as a true Indian I am fully supporting it.
Modi “G” is a foreign agent and has only helped Multinational and domestic corporate to rake in money at the cost of loss of business to small traders and manufacturers in India. GST and Demo are disasters which benefit foreign tax firms. A look at NASDAQ ticker symbol INTU and HRB will prove this.
Must look into the actual problems. Big issue is the Onion, price shot up like anything – for locals the cheapest onion was spoilt n size slightly bigger than a marble sold at + 40 rupees. No good onions in sight. Situation still improving but still high in comparison to previous price Rs 20 n 30 for good stuff.
Hopefully we get to see good price soon.
Even other veggies such as Palak, Methi, etc cost was 10 now minimum is 20 why.
The government must catch the hoarders black marketeers who are creating such a situation.
Amazon is not for the common people. It’s the common n poor people’s suffering needs utmost priority.
How f#&k up are you? Aligning prices rise of essential commodities with Amazon?
No body can do business with out profit.dont fool indian people & you are not our relatives to give benefits with out making any money.respect others countries rules and regulations and policies.at one time you foreigners cheat & rules in our proud country just like same ethics devide & rules in Hindustan. So ,stop this nonsense business idea’s to write directly contact to our people’s.
Make Jeff Bezos prime minister- at least he knows how to creat jobs and wealth!
Well said
Every action has an equal reaction..
Every_action has equal_and opposite_reaction
So the stage is being set up for Mukesh Ambani, to disrupt retail, like he did telecom. Rules will be changed to support his coming into the retail online sector. Nothing else explains a logical man like Piyush Goyal, speaking nonsense.
This is the commonly held perception.
Hope national interest guides our economic policies.
Also, we should not create perception that we are intolerant to the media, in India and abroad, which does not toe the government line.
Amazon is a company whose work conditions and salaries for the vast majority of their employees border on slavery, and force something like 80% of employees to seek food assistance and other support as they cannot get by on the average $ 24000 a year salary that they are paid in the US. The company also has a history of buying it’s way into government contracts and ended up with a rare bipartisan uproar when the Pentagon wrote the RFQ for it’s cloud contract to favor AWS. As disparate a group as the New York Times, Variety, Michael Bloomberg, and both Democrat and Republican legislators came out against the outrageous terms set by a former Amazon employee at the Pentagon, and compelled giving that contract to Microsoft.
Piyush Goyal is absolutely right in his slam of Amazon. Bezos is not giving a billion dollars away out of the goodness of his heart. He is only investing in bringing small traders to his platform instead of letting them deal through historical networks, and looking forward to making a cut on every sale that goes through Amazon India. Amazon needs India and it’s traders and consumers more than India needs the loaded treats that Bezos is offering to toss the natives’ way. India can stand proud and make sure that this arrogant and exploitative businessman works on Indian terms.
FDI in retail created over a million jobs. Vendors like Decathlon have setup shop and providing good wages to people like me.
Amazon is another example of success for over 1 lakh vendors on its platform.
Reliance will only please Gujrat’s Bhai and Ben’s sitting in Mumbai / Ahmedabad.
If Bezos creates jobs …he helps the economy. Piyush goyal is only thinking of parimal nathwani giving him a seat in Gujrat cricket board and BCCI via reliance support.