E-commerce giant Amazon on Wednesday announced that Samir Kumar will take over the responsibility of leading India as country manager, following the resignation of Manish Tiwary.
According to the company’s leadership update, Kumar is working closely with Manish Tiwary on this transition, and will assume operational responsibilities in India from October 1.
“25-year Amazon veteran Samir Kumar will oversee Amazon’s consumer business in India as Manish Tiwary, the current Country Manager of Amazon India, has decided to explore an opportunity outside of Amazon,” the update said.
Amit Agarwal, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Emerging Markets, in an internal email, announced that Kumar will take on the responsibility of leading India as Country Manager, in addition to his current portfolio of leading consumer businesses in the Middle East, South Africa and Galicia.
Kumar, who joined Amazon in 1999, was part of the original team that planned and launched Amazon.In in 2013.
With this change, the current Amazon.In team of leaders Saurabh Srivastava (Categories), Harsh Goyal (Daily Essentials), Amit Nanda (Marketplace), and Aastha Jain (Growth Plans) will now report to to Kumar.
Kishore Thota (Emerging Markets Buying Experience) will report directly to Agarwal.
“India remains important to Amazon, and I am very excited about the opportunity ahead as we continue to transform lives and livelihoods. We have a strong bench of local leadership and, along with Samir’s experience in all emerging markets, I am very optimistic about our future plans to bring customers and business to India, ” said Agarwal.
Agarwal also expressed gratitude for Tiwary’s leadership in “guiding Amazon.In to be the number one place for Indians to buy and sell anything online” and wished him well in future endeavours.