We are prepared to address any scrutiny: Amazon India head, Samir Kumar

We are prepared to address any scrutiny: Amazon India head, Samir Kumar

The e-commerce giant has set its sights on the broader 'Bharat', focusing on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities

With regulatory scrutiny tightening on online platforms, Amazon India has asserted that it believes in customer-centric norms and adheres to local laws.

Samir Kumar, Head of Amazon India, added that the e-commerce company was fully prepared to address any findings and ensure consumers were well supported.

The comments followed the Central Consumer Protection Authority’s (CCPAs) advisory to e-commerce platforms to conduct self-audits to detect 'dark patterns' and ensure they were swiftly eliminated. The self-declarations would enable fair digital ecosystem and build trust between consumers and online marketplaces.

Kumar, Country Manager of Amazon India, stated, "We have always believed that whatever we do, we should make sure that the customers love it. Some of these things will come our way and we will audit our systems and ensure we do the right things.”

He added: "We have always put customers at the centre of everything. When we see issues with our customer experience, we spend our energy in fixing it and will continue to do that.”

Commenting on the regulatory missives to digital platforms from authorities such as the CCPA or the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the chief emphasized, “Amazon is firmly committed to complying with the law of the land. We have always made sure that wherever we operate, we do so in a compliant way. So, whether it's the CCPA or the CCI, these bodies are ensuring that Indian consumers are not hurt. We are believers in taking care of our customers.”

India will perhaps be the largest contributor to Amazon's growth, with the firm investing billions of dollars in long-term investment. The country has not yet deeply penetrated online consumption. Hence, it presents a ‘great opportunity’ for Amazon, he emphasized.

“While users are online, not everyone is shopping. If you look at mobile phone penetration - a billion people have mobile phones, but only 100 million plus shop online. So, the 200 million (that the company is aspiring to reach) will be part of that,” he remarked.

With the belief that as the economy grows, so does consumption, and as GDP per capita rises, India will have many more consumers who will value the convenience of shopping online, Kumar added, "We have seen this phenomenon around the world. We have a large opportunity in India, with over 1.4 billion people.”

Amazon India has set its sights on the broader 'Bharat', focusing on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Kumer explained, "Let's take a good chunk of that and make sure they are able to come online, shop online, get the best value, and get the fastest delivery possible. And with that, I believe there's a big opportunity. So, beyond the Tier 1 cities, there's a huge opportunity in Bharat (Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities), where we see a deep penetration starting to happen.”

In 2025, Amazon is committed to invest Rs.2,000 in its India infrastructure. Earlier, it outlined a broader investment pledge of USD 26 billion by 2030 (USD 15 billion) between 2023 and 2030.