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Amazon responds to 'East India Company 2.0' barb highlighting 'impact on small business'
New Delhi/IBNS: Hours after RSS-linked magazine Panchjanya attacked Amazon as "East India Company 2.0" and tagged it as a "threat to indigenous entrepreneurship", the e-commerce giant responded on Monday citing its "positive impact on small businesses... including sellers, artisans, and delivery and logistics partners".
"During the pandemic three lakh new sellers joined us... of which 75,000 were local neighbourhood shops (dukaans) from 450+ cities (selling) furniture, stationery, consumer electronics, beauty products, mobile phones, garments, medical products..." a statement by the company said Monday.
In its response, Amazon highlighted its export program, which it said had helped over 70,000 Indian businesses - many from smaller cities and towns.
"Amazon's exports program is witnessing rapid momentum... today there are 70,000+ exporters from metros as well as Tier II, III and IV cities, selling crores of 'made in India' products to customers in 200 countries across the world - truly taking (it) global," it said.
Earlier in the day, Panchjanya's Hitesh Shankar tweeted the front cover of the magazine's latest issue which showed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and the headline "#Amazon: East India Company 2.0".
The tweet referred to allegations that Amazon's legal representatives bribed Indian officials, and asked: "What did it (the company) do wrong it needed to bribe... Why do people consider this company a threat to indigenous entrepreneurship, economic freedom and culture?"
पाञ्चजन्य यानी बात भारत की।
— Hitesh Shankar (@hiteshshankar) September 26, 2021
पढ़िये आगामी अंक -#अमेज़न ऐसा क्या गलत करती है कि उसे घूस देने की जरूरत पड़ती है? क्यों इस भीमकाय कंपनी को देसी उद्यमिता, आर्थिक स्वतंत्रता और संस्कृति के लिए खतरा मानते हैं लोग#Vocal_for_Local@epanchjanya pic.twitter.com/eCimaplnKJ
Shankar has then released a video statement on the magazine's Twitter account in which he says the report on Amazon's "threat" is "a factual story".
"It is a factual story which we have put before the readers. How did over 40,000 shops close due to one company... How did one company - through so many shadow companies - promote selected brands (that) have captured around 95 per cent of the market..." he said.
"Our Indian culture is for diversity... and it is a vicious cycle to crush that diversity. Our cover story is an attempt to expose this vicious cycle," he declared.
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