Amazon said it plans to invest more than $35 billion in India with a focus on business expansion and AI development.
Amazon said the investment will focus on AI-driven digitisation, export growth, and job creation
Photo Credit: Reuters
Amazon has announced plans to invest more than $35 billion (roughly Rs. 3.16 lakh crore) in India by 2030, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), export growth, logistics, digitisation and job creation. The commitment was outlined at the annual Amazon Smbhav Summit in New Delhi on Wednesday, and builds on nearly $40 billion (roughly Rs. 3.61 lakh crore) the company has already invested in the country since 2010. This new investment is spread across physical infrastructure such as fulfilment centres and data centres, as well as programmes aimed at expanding the use of AI among small businesses and students.
In a newsroom post, the Seattle-based tech giant announced and detailed its future investment commitment in the country. Amazon said that the planned $35 billion (roughly Rs. 3.16 lakh crore) will support three strategic priorities: AI-driven digitisation, export growth and job creation. The investment will also be used to expand the company's businesses in the country. With the planned investment, the company says it will also continue existing projects where it has helped digitise millions of small businesses and e-commerce exports.
In practical terms, AI-driven digitisation refers to tools and services that help sellers, manufacturers and service providers use machine learning and automation to manage inventory, improve product recommendations or optimise pricing. For small businesses that sell through Amazon's marketplace, this could include features like AI-powered selling assistants that interpret data and suggest actions. Amazon specifically mentions plans to extend such capabilities to 15 million small businesses in India by 2030.
The export growth component aims to increase India's share in global ecommerce. Amazon says it will work to boost cumulative ecommerce exports from India to $80 billion (roughly Rs. 7.23 lakh crore) by 2030, up from an estimated $20 billion (roughly Rs. 1.80 lajh crore) to date.
Job creation is another major pillar. The Keystone Strategy report cited at the summit states the company's operations and ecosystem supported about 2.8 million direct, indirect, induced and seasonal jobs across India in 2024. Amazon's new plan anticipates supporting 3.8 million such jobs by 2030 through continued expansion of fulfilment centres, logistics networks and technology investments, including roles in customer service, warehousing, technology and transportation.
The final part of the plan is driving AI education. Amazon said that it will provide four million students with AI literacy, career exploration experiences, and partnerships with local schools. This project supports India's National Education Policy 2020, the company claimed.
Notably, Amazon's big investment comes just days after Microsoft announced a similar commitment in India AI infrastructure and capacity building. In October, Google committed $15 billion (1.3 lakh crore) to build an AI data centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, in partnership with Airtel.
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