Amazon India set for top-deck reshuffle, changes likely in structure

Amazon India has begun the process of what is seen as a significant top-level restructuring of its India management team, led by vice president and country head Manish Tiwary, reported the Economic Times (ET).

The move comes as Noor Patel, one of the most senior executives at Amazon India heading category management, is moving to the US, said the report citing sources.

According to a communication Tiwary sent to several brands selling on the Amazon India marketplace, Patel's role will be split between Nishant Sardana and Ranjit Babu.

"Nishant Sardana will continue to manage our PC, audio, camera and large appliances business, while Ranjit Babu will lead our wireless and home entertainment businesses," Tiwary's communication to brands said.

The restructuring may also see a new dual leadership structure coming into effect at the online retailer under Tiwary and Amit Agarwal, senior vice president for India and emerging markets at Amazon, people aware of the matter told ET.

It will be the first such change in ten years of Amazon's existence in India. Agarwal is now based in the US but remains involved in India operations, the sources said. "Patel's move to the US has come as a surprise to many as he was one of the key leaders working alongside Amit Nanda, who is heading the seller services," one of the sources was quoted as saying by ET.

"As part of the changes being planned, there will be more role allocation under Tiwary. For example, the tech stack of the seller side of business is reporting to Agarwal while the rest is to Tiwary," the source said, adding, "The seller ecosystem has evolved significantly in recent years, necessitating more local decision making."

These changes come at a time when Amazon, under new CEO Andy Jassy, is focusing a lot more on Amazon Web Services (AWS) globally in terms of new investments as against the core ecommerce business.