Amazon's 25-year-veteran Samir Kumar will take over the reins of its India consumer division as the firm goes through a leadership transition following Manish Tiwary's retirement, the retail giant announced in a statement on Wednesday.

Who is Samir Kumar?

Samir Kumar has worked at Amazon since 1999 and was a major member of the team that launched Amazon in 2013. His significant expertise within the firm will help him in his new post, which will involve directing operations in one of Amazon's major markets. Kumar presently manages Amazon's consumer businesses in West Asia, South Africa, and Turkey.

He will begin his new post on October 1, 2024, while maintaining his current responsibilities in these locations.

As part of this leadership transfer, Amazon India's senior executives, including Saurabh Srivastava (categories), Harsh Goyal (daily necessities), Amit Nanda (marketplace), and Aastha Jain (growth initiatives), will now report to Kumar. According to the corporation, Kishore Thota, who is in charge of the developing market shopping experience, would report directly to Agarwal.

Amit Agarwal, Amazon's Senior Vice President for developing markets, commented on the future of Amazon India, saying, "India remains an important priority for Amazon, and I am excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue to transform lives and livelihoods." With Samir's significant expertise in emerging countries, I am even more confident about the future and our aspirations to serve both customers and businesses in India."

Manish Tiwari steps down

Samir Kumar will replace Manish Tiwari. Tiwary, who has worked for Amazon India for eight and a half years, revealed his desire to depart in early August. He plans to seek other possibilities outside of Amazon but will stay with the firm until October to guarantee a seamless transition