Jeff Bezos is visiting India amid protests and a government investigation into Amazon - here's what his trip has been like so far
Bezos began his trip with a visit to the tomb of Mahatma Gandhi. "Spent a beautiful afternoon paying my respects to someone who truly changed the world," Bezos wrote in an Instagram video of the visit.
Bezos got to relax a bit with some school children, even successfully flying a kite. "I haven't flown a kite in a long time," he said to one of the kids. "It brings back memories." He offered high fives all around after it was over.
Bezos has dressed in Indian clothing throughout his visit so far. While flying kites, he dressed in a kurta and wore his signature Garrett Leight sunglasses. While the designer doesn't appear to sell Bezos' exact pair anymore, a similar option retails for $395.
Source: Garrett Leight
For the visit to Ghandi's tomb, Bezos donned a Nehru vest. It's the same type of piece he wore during a fireside chat with Amazon's India Chief, Amit Agarwal. Bezos said during the talk that it was given to him by one of the small business owners outside the event.
Source: Bloomberg Quint
Bezos announced during the talk that Amazon would be investing $1 billion in digitizing India's small- and medium-sized businesses. By 2025, Amazon aims to export $10 billion worth of goods from India, he said.
Source: Business Insider
Bezos' India visit hasn't been without controversy, however. Right before he arrived, India's antitrust body opened an investigation into Amazon's business practices after small traders complained about how much power the company has over the market. The regulators are investigating Indian e-commerce company Flipkart as well.
Source: The New York Times
And Bezos' presence in India has attracted protests from Indians who say Amazon is undercutting business owners in price, subsequently driving them out of business. The Confederation of All India Traders has gone as far as to describe Bezos as an "economic terrorist."
Source: Bloomberg, Business Insider
Still, Bezos expressed optimism for Amazon's business in the country, and said he thinks in the 21st century, "the most important alliance is going to be the alliance between India and the United States, the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy."
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