CUSTOMISED PLAYBOOK

As Amazon marks the decadal milestone of India ops, the ecommerce giant is refining its A-game to face newer challenges in this significant global growth market

- Noor Fathima Warsia

MORE THAN 9.5 crore people visited within the first 48 hours of Amazon's Great Indian Festival 2023, marking its highest-ever comparable number in the last 10 years. Over 80 per cent of these came from non-metros. The numbers reveal much of what comprises Amazon's current attributes and growth in India.

The year 2023 cannot be said to be a good start for big tech per se, including the ecommerce sector. Amazon was not exempt from this and India was among the markets where the company had to take steps such as layoffs amid cost control. As the year comes to a close, courtesy of several factors including India’s growth opportunities and Amazon’s early pivot to different verticals and growth avenues, the company has been able to turn the tide and continue its growth trajectory.

“We say at Amazon that it is still day one for us, which is an important way to ensure we continue our customer focus. In India, I would say it is still day zero,” states Manish Tiwary, Vice President & Country Manager - Consumer Business, Amazon India.

The India Game Face

Like most of its peers, Amazon has customised its playbook for India. “India is a large, growing market but we must keep innovating. We recognise that there is no single way to approach the next 500 million. There will be multiple efforts – be it languages, shopping experience, delivery speeds or even social commerce,” Tiwary explains. Much of this forms part of Amazon’s India strategy and contributes to the company’s massive growth from 100 to over 12 lakh sellers, covering a wide footprint of the country.