Amazon's Future CEO Andy Jassy To Accelerate India Push Amid Protests

Andy Jassy told partners and customers in India the US company will focus on ensuring the country's small and medium businesses will thrive when working with its platform.

Amazon.com Inc's Andy Jassy, who's taking over as chief executive officer this summer, is doubling down on India even as challenges mount in what is arguably the e-commerce giant's most important growth market. In one of the first appearances since his appointment, Jassy told partners and customers in India the US company will focus on ensuring the country's small and medium businesses will thrive when working with its platform. He announced a $250 million venture fund to invest in startups working on innovations for such businesses, as well as agriculture and health care solutions. "Small and medium businesses are the engine and lifeblood of economies," Jassy said in an online discussion with Amazon's India head Amit Agarwal on Thursday, the opening day of its four-day local seller event that's held virtually this year. "We are passionate about accelerating SMBs." Jassy's appearance, announced just hours before the event, is a sign of India's importance for the US giant that's trying to tap the market of 1.3 billion people as part of its global ambitions. At the event's debut edition in New Delhi last year, Bezos was the star speaker.