Amazon will invest an additional $3 billion in its India operations to take its investment in the country to over $5 billion, the American e-commerce giant’s founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said today.
Bezos said this at an event here attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Amazon will invest $3 billion more in India. This is in addition to the $2 billion announced in 2014,” Bezos said at the annual gala of US India Business Council (USIBC).
“We have already created some 45,000 jobs in India and continue to see huge potential in the Indian economy,” Bezos said.
“Our Amazon.In team is surpassing even our most ambitious planned milestones...,” Bezos said after receiving USIBC’s Global leadership Awards.
Star India, a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox, also said it will invest an additional $5 billion over the next three years.
“We see huge potential in the Indian market and have been one of the largest foreign investors in India and the largest in the media and entertainment sector,” said Uday Shankar, Chairman and CEO of Star India.
USIBC chairman John Chambers announced that in less than two years, about 20 per cent of USIBC member companies have already invested $28 billion India.
“Over the next 2-3 years, we see this pace accelerating, again with about 20 per cent of our member companies reporting, indicating that USIBC members are on track to invest an additional $45 billion, which is a conservative estimate,” he said.
“Given Prime Minister Modi’s track record towards implementing ‘Digital India’ and key economic reforms, we are optimistic that this number will be dramatically exceeded, perhaps even doubled,” Chambers added.
“Today we are witnessing a new phase in India’s growth story driven by the vision of Prime Minister Modi,” he said.
“I’ve had the opportunity to meet many Government leaders around the world and I believe that Prime Minister Modi’s total approach in India – encompassing Digital India, skills, innovation and entrepreneurship – will ensure India remains the fastest growing economy over the next 5 years and provide inclusive growth, create new jobs and increase the standard of living for its citizens. Prime Minister Modi has rapidly become the model for not just the developing countries, but the entire world,” Chambers said.
Dilip Shanghvi, Founder and Managing Director of Sun Pharmaceuticals, along with Bezos was also presented with the USIBC’s Global leadership Award.