Manish Tiwary To Step Down As Amazon India Head: Report

Manish Tiwary, Amazon’s head in India, will step down in October after an eight-year tenure, as reported by Reuters. Tiwary has been with Amazon since 2016, following his previous role as managing director and vice president at Unilever Gulf.

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed Tiwary’s departure, noting that “Manish Tiwary, Country Manager for Amazon India, has decided to pursue an opportunity outside of the company.” The spokesperson praised Tiwary’s contributions, stating, “Manish’s leadership over the last eight years has been instrumental in delivering for customers and sellers, making Amazon.in the preferred marketplace in India.”

While Amazon has not announced a new successor, it has indicated that Amit Agarwal, SVP India and Emerging Markets, will remain closely involved with the Amazon.in team.

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This leadership change comes at a time when Amazon faces challenges in India. Despite a $7 billion investment in the country, Amazon struggles to penetrate smaller cities and towns where competitors like Flipkart and Meesho have a stronger presence.

Amazon’s limited product range and underdeveloped logistics network in these areas have been cited as factors, according to Techcrunch. Additionally, Meesho has surpassed Amazon in monthly active user share on mobile shopping apps, while Flipkart leads with over 50 million daily active users compared to Amazon’s 40 million, as noted by Bank of America analysts.

Amazon is also contending with competition from quick commerce startups such as BlinkIt, Zepto, and Swiggy’s Instamart, which offer deliveries within minutes. Flipkart has introduced its own quick commerce product, and Amazon is reportedly in talks to acquire a stake in Swiggy.

The resignation comes as Amazon plans to invest $26 billion in India by 2030 but faces a restrictive regulatory environment that limits it to operating only as a marketplace.

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