Bhubaneswar: David A. Zapolsky, Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer at Amazon US, highlighted India’s growing importance in Amazon’s global strategy, stating that the company has invested nearly USD 40 billion in the country.
Zapolsky was in Bhubaneswar to receive the KIIT University Lifetime Achievement Award.
The event was attended by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT and KISS, along with senior officials from Amazon India, the university said in a release.
In a wide-ranging and candid conversation with KIIT Vice Chancellor Prof. Saranjit Singh, Zapolsky said that Amazon operates data centres in Mumbai and Hyderabad. He added that last year alone, the company committed an additional USD 35 billion to strengthen its footprint in India.
He stated that India is a leader in shaping the global conversation around artificial intelligence and praised the clarity of the country’s vision. Zapolsky added that no nation had articulated as clearly as India what it wanted to achieve with AI. He noted that Amazon’s role would be to provide the infrastructure needed to support that ambition.
He also announced Amazon’s partnership with the government of India to expand AI and STEM education to reach 40 million public school children across the country. The initiative focuses on equipping the next generation with skills to become AI-capable workers.
