Amazon appoints Samir Kumar as Country Manager for India

Ecommerce giant Amazon has appointed Samir Kumar as the new Country Manager for India, effective from October 1.

Kumar, who joined Amazon in 1999, will replace Manish Tiwary, who has decided to leave the company to explore new opportunities. 

Tiwary had been leading Amazon India since July 2020 and has been with the company for over eight years.

Samir Kumar’s new responsibilities come in addition to his current role overseeing consumer businesses in the Middle East, South Africa, and Turkey.

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Samir Kumar’s role and experience

Kumar, who joined Amazon in 1999, was part of the original team that launched Amazon’s India operations in 2013. He has played a significant role in shaping Amazon’s consumer business in emerging markets.

In his new role, Kumar will be responsible for managing the company’s operations and leading the Indian consumer business, a market Amazon has heavily invested in over the years.

He will continue to report to Amit Agarwal, Amazon’s Senior Vice President for Emerging Markets.

Amazon’s leadership structure in India

With Kumar’s appointment, the leadership team at Amazon India will report directly to him. This includes Saurabh Srivastava (Categories), Harsh Goyal (Everyday Essentials), Amit Nanda (Marketplace), and Aastha Jain (Growth Initiatives).

Meanwhile, Kishore Thota, who oversees Emerging Markets Shopping Experience, will report directly to Amit Agarwal. The transition is designed to be smooth, with Kumar working closely with Tiwary before assuming full responsibilities in October.

Amit Agarwal’s comments on the transition

Amit Agarwal, SVP for Emerging Markets at Amazon, said, “I am deeply appreciative of Manish’s leadership in steering Amazon.in to become the de facto starting point for Indians to buy and sell anything online. I wish him the best for his next chapter."

He also expressed excitement about the future under Kumar’s leadership, noting that Amazon’s commitment to India remains a priority.

"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,” he added.