Amazon names 25-year veteran Kumar as new India head

(Reuters) – Amazon.com (NASDAQ:) named 25-year veteran Samir Kumar as its new India head on Wednesday, replacing Manish Tiwary who stepped down after an eight-year stint last month.

Kumar, who was part of the team that launched Amazon India in 2013, will take over from Tiwary on Oct. 1 in addition to his current role of heading Amazon’s consumer businesses in the Middle East, South Africa and Turkey.

Amazon had previously said Tiwary had resigned to pursue an opportunity outside the company, without elaborating.

The change in leadership comes as Amazon is fast expanding in India where it plans to invest $26 billion by 2030, but also faces a strict regulatory environment that forces it to run only a marketplace.

“India remains an important priority for Amazon, and I am super excited about the opportunity ahead,” Amit Agarwal, senior vice president for emerging markets at Amazon, said.