Ecom cowboy

An Amazon veteran, Kumar swears by Jeff Bezos philosophy of moving fast, taking risks, and not fearing failure, writes Peerzada Abrar

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Most mornings, Samir Kumar, who took over as Amazon India's head in October last year, follows Jeff Bezos's advice to "dance into work," listening to songs by Mohammed Rafi or Arijit Singh as he walks down to the office, which is near his home in Rajajinagar, a neighbourhood in the western part of Bengaluru. But on May 6, he skipped his usual playlist. It was his birthday, and as he was heading out, jacket in hand, his wife stopped him.

"Let me drive you to work today as a birthday treat," she said.

The couple's vehicle of choice is a well-worn blue Hyundai i20, bought in Bengaluru in 2012 during Kumar's first India posting. The automatic hatchback, which they drive themselves rather than have a driver ferry them, reflects the couple's preference for independence. When the family moved to Seattle, the car remained with Kumar's father in Delhi, and returned to them years later when the national capital put a restriction on old vehicles. Despite its age, and the occasional noise, the car runs just fine - on days taking Kumar to the nearby Amazon India headquarters at the World Trade Centre. By next year, though, it will have to make longer trips, when the office shifts to the outskirts of the city, close to Bengaluru airport.

I meet Kumar for lunch on his 53rd birthday next to his office at the Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel. He arrives dressed in a crisp light blue shirt, khakis, and black shoes, and greets me with the ease of an old friend. We quickly order our meal: Paneer tikka, pulao, dal makhani, butter naan, and lime soda.

"I'll head home later to spend time with my wife and daughter," he says. "I'm from Bihar, and one of my all-time favourite meals is litti-chokha. That's the plan for dinner."