SUMMARY
- Amazon has appointed Samir Kumar as the country manager for India following the departure of Manish Tiwary.
- Manish Tiwary, current Country Manager for Amazon India, has decided to explore an opportunity outside Amazon.
- With this transition, Amazon India will adopt a dual leadership structure.
Ecommerce major Amazon has appointed Samir Kumar as the country manager for India following the departure of Manish Tiwary. Kumar, a seasoned Amazon employee since 1999, is set to take on operational duties in India commencing October 1, as per a company announcement today.
“Amazon’s 25-year veteran Samir Kumar will oversee Amazon’s India consumer business as Manish Tiwary, current Country Manager for Amazon India, has decided to explore an opportunity outside Amazon,” the announcement stated.
Tiwary, who has been at the helm of India operations since July 2020, has resigned on August 6, reportedly due to ongoing disagreements with Amit Agarwal, Amazon’s Senior Vice President for Emerging Markets.
Tiwary played a major role in positioning Amazon.in as the primary platform for Indians to engage in online buying and selling, as noted by Agarwal in an internal correspondence.
The appointment of Kumar to this new role introduces additional responsibilities, while he will concurrently lead Amazon’s consumer businesses in the Middle East, South Africa, and Turkey.
Agarwal emphasized that “India remains an important priority for Amazon.”
“We have a strong local leadership bench and, along with Samir’s experiences across Emerging Markets, I am even more optimistic about our future plans to deliver for customers and the business in India,” Agarwal stated.
Kumar, who was instrumental in the planning and launch of Amazon.in in 2013, brings significant experience to the role.
With this transition, Amazon India will adopt a dual leadership structure, as outlined in the company’s announcement.
“…the current Amazon.in leadership team of Saurabh Srivastava (Categories), Harsh Goyal (Everyday Essentials), Amit Nanda (Marketplace), and Aastha Jain (Growth Initiatives) will now report to Samir Kumar. Kishore Thota (Emerging Markets Shopping Experience) will report directly to Amit,” as detailed in the announcement.
