Amazon'sAmitAgarwalhascreatedsolutions

uniquetoIndia
AmazonhascometobeseenatthecentreofallbigeventsinIndianecommerce

SuveenSinhaApril15,2017LastUpdatedat02:07IST

Ifyoumeet
Agarwalfive
monthsapart
asthis
writerdid,in
Octoberlast
yearand
Marchthis
yearthe
cruxofthe
interviews
wouldlikely
bethesame.
Agarwal
wouldsay
thatthe
magicofe
commerce
liesingetting
youwhatyou
wantatalow
priceand
haveit
deliveredit
fast.

Hewould
[Link]:SanjayKSharma
talkaboutthe
threepillars
ofAmazonbeingselection(thenumberandrangeofitsoffering),competentprices,[Link],
somenumberswouldchange:theselectionincreasedfrom85millionitemsinOctobertomorethan100million
inMarch.

Butthecruxoftheconversationremainsthesamebecause,asAgarwalputsit,hehasbeendoingthesamething
[Link],howdoweaddmoreselection?Whattoolshall
webuildforsellerssotheycanofferbetterpricing?Howcanwedeliverbetterandfaster?

AndAgarwalwouldtalkaboutAmazonsbeliefinhavingastubbornvisionthatmaybeaccompaniedbya
flexibleexecution.
[Link]
downinthefamouslettertoshareholdersAmazonsfounderandCEO,JeffBezos,wrotein1997,theyearthe
[Link],thatletterwasallaboutthelongterm,ignoringa
publiclyheldcompanysneedtodeliverquarterlyriseinprofits.

WhatAgarwalhasdoneishehasusedtheflexibleexecutionoptiontoimplementinIndiaanAmerican
[Link],hesays.

Itisnotahollowclaim.

Aboutthreeorsoyearsago,whendiscussionsovercupsofteawereswayingthecourseofaParliament
election,Amazonwashavingitsownchaipecharchawiththepeoplewhosellonitsonlinemarketplace.

WheneverAmazonspeoplewenttosellerstobringthemonline,theirhostsasked:Chaipeeyengekya?(Will
youhavetea?)

SoAmazonsetupitsownchaicarts,hundredsofthemindozensofcities,whichgaveoutfreeteaassellers
congregatedforadiscussion.(ThecartsservedcoffeeinsouthIndia.)

AmazonsawthatalotofpeopleinIndiadidnottrustonlinetransactions,buttheytrustedthelocalservice
[Link]
allythatwouldsellproductsforAmazon.

TheglobalconceptofAmazonfulfillmentcentres,wherethingsaredeliveredbysellersandpickedupby
couriersafterpackaging,[Link],wefound
[Link]
centres?[Link],whichcomestotheshopstopickuptheirproducts.

AprogrammecalledIHaveSpacehasturnedthelocalgrocerystores,bakeries,daycarecentrespeoplewho
knowtheirneighbourhoodintoAmazonspartnersfordeliveryofproducts.Itnowhasanetworkof12,500in
morethan50cities.

Andthenthereisthefirstpillar,theoneofselection,whereAgarwalseesIndiagallopingaheadofAmazons
moredevelopedmarkets,suchastheUnitedStates,inthenumberofitemssold.

Globally,[Link]
diversitythereisnoreasonwecannothave25timesthenumberofitemsinIndia,hesays.

[Link]
womanwashavingtroublecookingforherfamilybecauseshewasntgettingherfavouritespicesinGuwahati
untilshefoundthemonAmazon,[Link]
finallymadeherfeelathomeinAssam.

[Link],asdidhiswife.
[Link]
anywhereinIndiaatadaysnotice.

[Link]
andDiwali,[Link],asusual,tookpridein
[Link].

[Link]
systemofsourcinganddeliveryinasmall,lowvalueitem?
Agarwalhasareadyriposte:[Link]
donebyidentifyingtheirneeds,[Link]
othersfollow,whichistomakeabusinessoutofwhatyouhave.

TheresultisthatAmazonadds180,000itemstoitsIndiaplatformeveryday.

Onceyouletthatfiguresinkin,youmightwonderwhyitisimportanttohaveeverythinganyoneanywhere
needs.The85millionproductsAmazonhadlastOctoberwouldprettymuchcovermostofeveryonesneeds.
Whyraiseitto100million,andthenkeepaddingtothatenormousnumbereveryday?

Agarwalofferstworeasonsforthat:[Link],hesays,isthatthereis
[Link],andifyoucoverthat
need,youbuildtrust.

And,ifyouconvincepeoplethatthereisaplacewhereyoucanfindanythingyouneedandhaveitdelivered
fast,itbecomesaneverydayhabit,theholygrailofanycommerce.

Indiansanywayliketoseealargenumberofoptionsbeforedeciding,atraitAmazoncapturedinitsAur
DikhaoAurDikhao(showmemore)campaign.

Thenumbersbackupthisapproach.ReportssayAmazonIndiasgrosssalesvolumegrew85percentinthe
[Link],whichitselfis
inthethroesofarevival:ofbusinessandfunding.

Justasimportant,[Link]
raisesfunds,[Link],itisbecause
Amazonhastakenthewindoutofitssails.