Not Sure Whether Quick Commerce Will Make Money in 2026: Amazon India Chief

While customers “love to get their items in minutes instead of hours” and Amazon sees clear demand in the category, whether money can be made from quick commerce in the near future still has to be figured out, said Samir Kumar, Country Manager, Amazon India.

“Can we make money doing that [quick commerce] by2026 or not is something we will have to see. We’ll figure it out as we go,” he added.

Amid intensifying competition in the quick-commerce space, Kumar added the company’s edge will lie in “carrying the largest selection in the smallest spaces” and delivering it “in a more cost-effective and safe manner.” While acknowledging that the sector’s long-term profitability is still an open question, “Can we make money doing that? That’s something we will figure out as we go,” he said.

Kumar stressed that Amazon’s 25-year investment in technology, logistics and supply chain systems will be its defining advantage in the quick commerce race. The company plans to expand to more cities and countries, build safer micro-fulfilment centres and use its backend strength to offer minutes-fast delivery alongside its existing same-day and next-day services.

When asked whether global uncertainty and tariff-related concerns could impact Amazon’s e-commerce export ambitions, Kumar said , “While the USA is our largest export destination, we operate in 23 marketplaces worldwide..” He added that the U.S. has historically been Amazon’s biggest and oldest market, with Europe and Japan also forming major export corridors.

Speaking about the company’s three pledges, Kumar said Amazon had already exceeded several of its targets. “We had pledged to digitise 10 million MSMEs and have already surpassed that with 12 million onboarded. We also committed to creating 2 million jobs and are now at 3.8 million. Our seller base has grown to 1.7 million in India, and more than 200,000 of them are exporting globally. Together, these initiatives are expected to drive $20 billion in e-commerce exports over the next four years,” said Samir Kumar, Country Manager, Amazon India.

Kumar was speaking at Amazon’s Sambhav event in New Delhi on December 10, where the company pledged to invest $35 billion across businesses in India. This takes Amazon’s total pledged investment in the country to $40 billion since 2010.

The new investment will go into scaling AI capabilities, expanding logistics and supply chain infrastructure, supporting small businesses, and driving job creation.

The announcement comes a day after Microsoft unveiled a $17.5 billion plan to deepen India’s AI ecosystem. “When it comes to AI, the world is optimistic about India,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X after meeting Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Tuesday.