Letters | Why India can’t afford to snub Amazon billions from Jeff Bezos

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Jeff Bezos, the founder and president of e-commerce giant Amazon, pays his respects at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial in New Delhi on January 14. Photo: Handout/Amazon/AFP

Published: 11:00am, 24 Jan 2020Updated: 11:00am, 24 Jan 2020

I refer to your reports about the cold shoulder recently given to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos by the Indian government (“Amazon chief Jeff Bezos’ India visit marked by probe and protests”, January 15).

Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor any of his senior ministers held meetings with him. Mr Bezos plans to invest US$1 billion in India, after the various regulatory ministries clear his proposals. So he is a genuine investor. He is one of the richest men in the world and he can invest further in India to create jobs and opportunities. He should have been treated like an honoured guest.

Moreover, an official of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party complained that The Washington Post, owned by Mr Bezos, had been critical of the policies of the government of India.

We need to appreciate that we don’t normally ask newspaper owners to dictate or tell their editors what to write. So Mr Bezos should not be held responsible for the editorial stance of The Washington Post.

The world’s press and investment community have noticed India’s belittling of high-profile investors, and the latter may well become reluctant to invest in the country. India needs foreign investment to secure technology and jobs, especially with unemployment at a 45-year high. So, ignoring Mr Bezos would be India’s loss.