 "Jamil Ghani, Vice President, Amazon Prime Global")
On a recent morning in India, Jamil Ghani was testing Amazon's newest competitive weapon before most of the country had awakened. The worldwide vice-president of Amazon Prime, visiting from Seattle, ordered running socks and children's backpacks on Amazon. The socks arrived within 10 minutes through Amazon Now, the e-commerce giant's ultra-fast delivery service launched to counter Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart and Flipkart Minutes. The backpacks came the same day through a wider selection stored in larger fulfilment centres just outside the city. The early morning shopping run wasn't just personal convenience — it illustrated Amazon's strategic response to India's quick-commerce boom, where instant grocery delivery platforms are reshaping consumer expectations. While competitors offer 10-minute deliveries and have scaled it up, Ghani said Amazon is betting that Prime's combination of speed across multiple categories, entertainment content and savings programmes will justify its annual membership cost.
Ghani's visit signals India's growing importance to Amazon Prime's global strategy, particularly as the company expands its delivery infrastructure in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where 70 per cent of new Prime members now originate. In an interview with Peerzada Abrar, Ghani outlined plans to evolve Prime in India from an “everything store” to an “everyday value store” through hundreds of micro-fulfilment centres and localised content — adapting the service to Indian consumer behaviour rather than replicating the US model. Edited excerpts:
Amazon Prime has over 200 million members globally. Can you quantify India's contribution — what percentage of global Prime members are in India, and how does India's growth rate compare to mature markets like the US or emerging markets like Brazil or Mexico?
India continues to be a critical driver of growth globally. We've been happy with the continued reception of Indian consumers for Prime, now in its ninth year. Beyond viewing India as a source of growth for Prime and for Amazon, we increasingly see it as a source of innovation for us. We were in the early stages of the tiering programme. Now there is a well-established aspect of serving not just the heterogeneous India but the entire country. This inspires us in other places like Mexico and beyond, as we tailor offerings. We have Prime Lite and also core Prime, which is the full version of shipping, video and a whole set of other benefits. That ability to tailor the offering is what's resulting in 70 per cent of our new members coming from tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Could you give a few examples of the innovations that were developed in India and have since been deployed globally?
India has always been on the leading edge of experimentation in showing Amazon customers what Prime can do for their lives. Globally, we have constructs like the free trial — also available here — that let customers experience, with no obligation, the transformative power of free and fast delivery. As a result, more Amazon customers realise how Prime fits into their lives, increasing their likelihood to join. We’re now rolling this out worldwide.
Another example: Indian consumers are incredibly savvy about making their rupee stretch. To communicate that, the team has innovated with value dashboards and gamified in-store experiences, inspiring similar efforts elsewhere. These, along with tiering, reflect innovations born in India that meet universal needs. Now, we’re in 26 countries — each different, yet sharing commonalities.
Any products or innovations that you tried to bring from the US or other parts of the world that haven't worked in India?
What we’ve found is that Indian viewers have a very refined palate. They are incredibly savvy consumers of content and culture. Some global movies or shows that may perform well elsewhere may not be as widely consumed here. In contrast, what has truly resonated is our significant investment in local content — both at the national and state levels. We now offer content in 10 languages. I was particularly impressed that 25 per cent of Indian content is viewed outside its home state — the state where that language is dominant — and 50 per cent of it is watched outside India altogether. This demonstrates that Prime Video’s Indian stories not only connect deeply with local audiences but also travel remarkably well, finding appreciation around the world.
You mentioned 70 per cent of new Prime members come from tier-2 and -3 cities, but are the unit economics in these markets comparable to metros?
What I can say is that our ambition is to serve all of India. We’ve invested around Rs 2,000 crore this year — and years of investments before that — to build the supply chain topology we have today and to expand it for the future. Ultra-fast delivery is an important part of that network and the newest addition to our continuum of capabilities. We view our business holistically, investing for the long term.
What makes Prime unique for customers also strengthens us as a business — serving a wide range of needs. When we do that well, we attract more customers, retain them longer, and deepen engagement across our ecosystem. That’s the positive, virtuous cycle Prime enables for Amazon’s consumer businesses.
Are you subsidising deliveries to build market share, or have logistics efficiencies brought costs down enough that this is sustainable?
I’d step back and say our strategy for selection and speed is built around serving customers along a continuum. On one end, thousands of items are available in 10 minutes for urgent needs — everyday essentials, groceries, or even a griddle you suddenly need to cook for your kids. Then within four hours you have access to about 40,000 items; same day, a million; and next day, four million. Our ambition — and what makes Prime unique — is serving that full continuum. We view it holistically from a cost-to-serve standpoint. Prime is a profitable, core business built on efficiency and scale.
You say you're adapting Prime to meet unique needs of tier-2 and -3 cities. What are those unique needs specifically, and any challenges in that?
Apart from offering Prime memberships through varied tiers at different price points, we’re ramping up our speed by adapting locally. We’re growing quickly — planning to reach several hundred stores (for ultra-fast deliveries) by the end of the year. We are also expanding in the Middle East as well. Real estate and labour considerations vary widely, even at the pin-code level, where availability can differ from one area to the next. Just before Diwali, we opened 12 fulfilment centres, six sort centres and 45 delivery stations, most in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. These expansions bring us closer to customers, enable faster deliveries and provide greater support to our sellers.
India's quick-commerce market is heating up with players like Zepto, Blinkit, Instamart and Flipkart Minutes. How do you view the competition?
You’re right to call the Indian landscape dynamic and changing. That’s ultimately good for customers, and we welcome them having options. We don’t obsess over competition, but we’re certainly inspired by what others are doing — it pushes us to raise the bar even higher.
Prime has been built, and will continue to be built, on a simple promise: with one membership, customers can unlock disproportionate value across a wide range of needs. We began with shipping, and now offer value across a continuum of speeds. Beyond that, there’s video, gaming, music and more to come — including Alexa Plus, our effort to be the best ambient, conversational assistant.
We’ll keep making Prime better, but what truly sets it apart is the combination of a broad and deep shopping experience, award-winning entertainment, and other benefits — all brought together under one simple membership. We listen to customers, evolve and constantly iterate. Nowhere is that truer than in India — it’s incredibly dynamic and changing fast.
Amazon invests billions in Prime Video content globally. How do you justify that spend in India, where people already pay for Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and regional OTT platforms? Is video a customer acquisition tool, a retention mechanism, or does it need to be profitable on its own?
Some customers first come to know Amazon in India through Prime Video. When we survey the brand, for some, “Prime” really means Prime Video, or “Amazon” means Prime Video. For others, it’s shipping and shopping.
What’s always been true about Prime is that while members may join for one reason, they stay because they discover additional benefits and value. Someone might start with Prime Video to watch Mirzapur and then discover the Great Indian Festival sale or Prime Early Access — a key driver of member value. We focus heavily on exclusive savings, especially during festive offers.
Prime Video’s success is measured both in acquisition and retention, and it’s resonating — beloved across the country, in 10 languages, and even outside India. We’re very happy with what Prime Video contributes to customers and to the overall programme.
India's e-commerce regulations around data localisation, foreign investment in marketplaces and seller relationships have evolved. Are there regulatory constraints that limit what you can do in India that you can do elsewhere, and how do you navigate those?
We comply with laws wherever we operate — that’s the minimum standard we set. We also prioritise productive relationships with regulatory bodies worldwide, working collaboratively to do what’s best for customers and members. The same approach applies in India. We’ve been navigating changes in the regulatory and payments environment, just as others in the industry have.
Where do you see Amazon Prime India in five years? Do you envision it looking more like Prime in the US? And what's your moonshot — the one capability or service you'd love to add to Prime India but haven't yet?
(Laughs) He wants me to make an announcement, doesn’t he? Here’s what I’d say.
What excites me most about Prime in India is how, over the last nine years, Amazon and Prime have established credible, high service standards for members, becoming the “everything store” in selection and content. Now, the focus is on becoming the “everyday value store” — serving needs daily, weekly and monthly.
We achieve this through ultra-fast delivery across the continuum of speeds and selection — sub-same-day, same-day and next-day deliveries. Prime Video offers a range of content, so there’s always something you’ll love watching alone or with loved ones. Add savings — co-branded credit cards, bank-funded discounts, Prime Early Access and record-breaking Prime Day — and it all doubles down on convenience, savings and entertainment.
India will look like India, the US like the US, Brazil like Brazil — serving universal human needs, but in locally unique ways.
Any examples you want to share?
Very few places in the world have gone through a digitisation journey like India’s with UPI. It was incredibly impactful to experience the simplicity of UPI checkout using Amazon Pay — and then hear Amitabh Bachchan’s voice confirming, “You have paid.” I was at Asha Sweets when I heard, “You have paid 110 rupees,” and it was eye-opening.
Payments are a critical part of the Prime value proposition — from 5 per cent back on the co-branded credit card to stacking offers during the Great Indian Festival, and experiments with constructs like diamonds.
It all ties back to Prime’s pillars of convenience, savings and entertainment. What’s mind-blowing is that our top 10 per cent of Prime members receive 8.5 times the value of their membership. With tiering options from Rs 399 to Rs 1,499, every household can realise disproportionate value — a testament to how Prime continues to grow, evolve and deliver exceptional benefits in India.
