US-based e-commerce giant Amazon has announced plans to invest more than $35 billion in India by 2030, marking one of its most significant long-term commitments to the country. The announcement came during the company’s annual MSME-focused summit, ‘Amazon Smbhav’, where senior executives outlined a broad strategy to deepen Amazon’s integration with India’s economic growth story. The tech major’s investment will be channelled into three strategic pillars—AI-driven digitisation, export expansion, and large-scale job creation—in addition to fortifying its business infrastructure across the country. This multi-billion-dollar plan highlights Amazon’s ambition to play a central role in India’s transformation into a global digital powerhouse.
A Major Step Aligned with India’s National Vision
Speaking at the event, Amit Agarwal, Senior Vice President for Emerging Markets at Amazon, said the new investments would align closely with India’s national priorities, including its push toward Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and Viksit Bharat (developed India).
“We are humbled to have been part of India’s digital transformation journey over the past 15 years,” Agarwal said, adding that Amazon’s expansion in India reflects the country’s evolving digital economy. He noted that the company’s efforts would now focus on democratising access to artificial intelligence, enhancing logistics and supply chains, and ensuring that digital tools reach small businesses and individual entrepreneurs across urban and rural India. According to company officials, Amazon’s new investment strategy will prioritise artificial intelligence, both as a business enabler and a public tool. The firm aims to bring AI-driven innovation to millions of Indians—particularly small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), which form the backbone of India’s economy.
The company’s blueprint includes delivering AI benefits to 14 million small businesses, providing AI education and career exploration opportunities to 4 million government school students, and integrating AI tools into its logistics, retail, and cloud services operations. These initiatives, the company says, will help small enterprises become more competitive, efficient, and globally connected. In addition, Amazon has committed to creating one million job opportunities across its Indian operations, including logistics, cloud computing, retail services, and technology development. The company also expects its cumulative e-commerce exports to reach $80 billion by 2030, quadrupling from current levels.
Catalyst for India’s Digital and Economic Growth
Amazon’s growing investment footprint in India reflects its long-term confidence in the country’s digital potential. Over the past 15 years, the company has expanded from an e-commerce marketplace to a diversified player that supports local sellers, manufacturers, and service providers. With its new investment plan, Amazon aims to accelerate India’s digital transformation by investing in advanced logistics infrastructure, expanding its cloud computing network under Amazon Web Services (AWS), and building a stronger ecosystem for digital exports. The company stated that these investments would also support innovation in AI-enabled solutions tailored for India’s unique market needs, including language processing, customer service automation, and retail personalisation. This, in turn, is expected to empower millions of micro-entrepreneurs and improve customer experiences across the country. At the ‘Smbhav’ summit, Amazon introduced ‘Accelerate Exports’, a new manufacturing-focused initiative designed to connect digital entrepreneurs with manufacturers. The platform aims to strengthen the bridge between Indian producers and global markets, allowing small and medium businesses to scale internationally. By providing access to digital tools, training, and cross-border e-commerce infrastructure, ‘Accelerate Exports’ will enable Indian sellers to showcase their products globally while adhering to international standards of quality and customer service. The company emphasized that this initiative would not only enhance India’s export competitiveness but also create new avenues for small manufacturers to reach customers across continents. Amazon’s leadership highlighted that empowering local businesses is at the heart of its India strategy. The company’s marketplace now hosts over 1.2 million sellers, many of whom are small enterprises that have digitised their operations for the first time through Amazon’s platform. These businesses collectively generate significant employment opportunities across supply chains, packaging, and logistics.
A notable component of Amazon’s plan focuses on AI education for India’s youth. The company has pledged to provide AI learning and career exploration programs to 4 million government school students by 2030. This initiative is designed to build the next generation of tech talent and prepare them for future roles in AI, machine learning, and data science. Amazon’s education-focused efforts align with the Indian government’s National Education Policy, which emphasizes digital literacy and technology integration in classrooms. By offering hands-on exposure to AI applications, Amazon hopes to equip students with skills relevant to the global digital economy. Since its entry into India in 2013, Amazon has gradually become one of the country’s leading digital players. The company’s local operations include Amazon.in, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Pay, AWS, and various seller and logistics services. Over the years, Amazon has invested billions in infrastructure such as fulfilment centres, delivery hubs, and cloud data centres. It has also collaborated with the Indian government on projects promoting digital inclusion, skill development, and rural entrepreneurship. Amazon claims that its investments have already created millions of direct and indirect jobs across the country, supporting roles in technology, logistics, customer service, and retail. Its current expansion will further deepen this employment network while empowering more local communities to participate in the digital economy.
AI as a Growth Engine for the Indian Market
Artificial Intelligence has emerged as a central theme in Amazon’s latest investment strategy. The company’s global experience in AI—spanning e-commerce recommendations, warehouse automation, and voice technologies—positions it to introduce scalable solutions in India. According to Amazon executives, AI will become a transformative force for India’s small businesses, helping them streamline supply chains, forecast demand, and improve product listings. Amazon’s plan to make AI accessible to 14 million small businesses signals a major shift toward data-driven entrepreneurship in the country. The company believes that by simplifying access to AI tools, Indian enterprises can enhance productivity, reduce costs, and compete more effectively in global markets. Amazon’s cloud arm, AWS, will play a key role in this ecosystem, offering affordable and scalable AI infrastructure to startups and established firms alike.
Amazon’s target of $80 billion in cumulative e-commerce exports by 2030 underlines its growing focus on helping Indian goods reach international buyers. Through initiatives like ‘Global Selling’, Amazon enables Indian sellers to list products on its international marketplaces across the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific regions. The company said it will continue to invest in building export-friendly logistics, warehousing, and quality certification systems that help small exporters reduce barriers to global trade. By integrating digital technologies with traditional manufacturing clusters, Amazon hopes to make Indian exports more efficient and globally competitive. Amazon’s ongoing engagement with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) forms a cornerstone of its India strategy. The company collaborates with state governments, trade associations, and local chambers of commerce to onboard small sellers and artisans onto its platform. At the ‘Smbhav’ event, Amazon reaffirmed its commitment to supporting MSMEs through financial assistance, training, and technology integration. It also emphasized that such collaborations would accelerate rural entrepreneurship and contribute to the government’s goals of digital inclusion and employment generation.
The e-commerce leader has set an ambitious target of creating one million new jobs in India by 2030, encompassing roles in warehousing, logistics, retail, technology, and creative industries. These positions will complement the millions of indirect jobs already enabled through Amazon’s network of sellers, delivery partners, and service providers. The company’s job creation strategy includes upskilling programs, support for women entrepreneurs, and initiatives promoting sustainable business practices. Amazon’s leadership has stated that India’s youthful workforce presents a major opportunity to harness innovation and drive long-term growth.
Strengthening India’s Digital Infrastructure
Amazon’s cumulative investments will also enhance digital and physical infrastructure, including fulfilment centres, data centres, and last-mile delivery systems. The company plans to leverage AI and automation to improve delivery efficiency, customer experience, and environmental sustainability. Its cloud arm, AWS, continues to expand its presence in India with data centres in multiple regions, enabling faster, more secure cloud services for government, enterprises, and startups. This infrastructure is expected to boost India’s competitiveness in global technology markets.
Amazon’s decision to invest over $35 billion in India by 2030 underscores the country’s pivotal role in the company’s global strategy. By combining AI innovation, export acceleration, and large-scale job creation, Amazon aims to strengthen India’s position as a digital and manufacturing powerhouse. Through initiatives spanning education, small business empowerment, and infrastructure expansion, Amazon seeks to deepen its partnership with India’s economic transformation. As the company works toward delivering AI benefits to millions of citizens, facilitating $80 billion in exports, and generating one million new jobs, its presence is set to shape the future trajectory of India’s digital economy well into the next decade.
