SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Amazon is having a hard time demonstrating it understands the Indian market.
The retail giant has once again found itself at the center of attention on social media, for the second time in just a matter of days.
First, Amazon were forced to apologize and pull doormats for sale bearing the country’s flag after India’s foreign minister threatened to revoke the visas of all the company’s employees working in India. Then on Sunday, India’s economic affairs secretary tweeted a stern warning against the Washington state-based company over flip-flops with pictures of the nation’s historical civil rights icon Mahatma Gandhi.
India represents Amazon’s fastest-growing and most crucial foreign market after failing to make any headway in neighboring China. Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, has committed $5 billion of the company’s money to take on local competitors such as Flipkart. The company is splurging on Bollywood content for Amazon Prime, recruiting sellers with carts serving “chai” or tea, and linking grocery stores to local buyers for daily essentials.
“Amazon, better behave. Desist from being flippant about Indian symbols & icons. Indifference will be at your own peril,” India’s secretary for economic affairs, Shaktikanta Das, tweeted in response to the $16.99 flip-flops.
Several people left comments on the Customer Reviews board beneath the Amazon listing condemning the sale of the sandals.
“Try imagining your footwear featuring your own parents or grandparents & how comfortable would you be with that kind of a ‘respect’ & ‘affection’ shown to them,” one reviewer wrote.
“Shameless Amazon first it was Indian flag and now Mahatma Gandhi looks like Jeff Bezos is losing his mind,” wrote another.
