Amazon announces mega investment in India

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report: Amazon Announces Mega Investment in India

Date: December 10, 2025
Host: William Lee Adams
Guests: Archana Shukla (BBC Delhi Correspondent), Paul Adams (BBC), Katie Raine (Atlantic Bastion Program Manager), General Sir Gwyn Jenkins (First Sea Lord)

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers the essential business and economic news of the morning, focusing on Amazon’s massive new investment commitment in India, the country’s surging prominence in global tech, and the UK's efforts to counter undersea threats from Russia. With expert commentary and breaking news segments, this edition keeps listeners up to speed on latest market movements and geopolitical developments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Amazon's $35 Billion Investment in India

[00:58–03:30]

• Amazon’s Commitment:

  • Amazon announces plans to invest an additional $35 billion in India by 2030, doubling its previous investment ($40 billion by 2024).
  • Focus areas: artificial intelligence and e-commerce.

• Strategic Importance of India:

  • India boasts almost a billion internet users and over 750 million smartphone users—a rapidly growing digital market with a substantial middle class.
  • The tech titans (Microsoft, Google, Amazon) are racing to leverage India’s expanding consumer base and skilled workforce.

  “This is a market that Amazon is really eyeing because of the large rapid Internet user base here.”
  — Archana Shukla [01:35]

• Global Tech Investment Patterns:

  • US companies are reducing investments in China, partly due to ongoing tensions.
  • India is emerging as a principal “China plus one” alternative, aligning with Prime Minister Modi’s ambitions.

  “US China tensions are driving some of these companies to look to diversify... India is stepping up to show that they can be the next alternative to China.”
  — Archana Shukla [02:52]

• India’s Challenges:

  • Infrastructure and regulatory improvements are needed for India to fully capitalize on these investments.

Global Market Highlights

[03:32–03:59]

• Silver Soars:

  • Silver prices hit all-time highs, up 1.2% to over $61—more than double since the start of the year due to tech sector demand.

• Nintendo’s Stock Slump:

  • Nintendo shares fall 2.6% to their lowest since May, with $14 billion in value lost in December amid concerns over rising memory chip costs.

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UK Responds to Russian Undersea Threats

[03:59–07:02]

• Royal Navy’s New Initiative — Atlantic Bastion:

  • The UK is intensifying protection of critical undersea infrastructure (cables, pipelines) against Russian threats.
  • Adoption of AI-powered underwater drones (e.g., SG1 fathom made by Helsing), capable of long-endurance autonomous patrols.

  “The AI embedded in the glider processes and identifies those threats more quickly than we’ve been able to do previously.”
  — Katie Raine [04:51]

• Wider Security Network:

  • Atlantic Bastion integrates drones, warships, and surveillance aircraft.
  • Includes pilotless helicopters, crewless speedboats, and experimental submarines.

• Geopolitical Context:

  • Recent Russian naval activity near UK waters has heightened risk perceptions.
  • The UK Defence Secretary (John Healey) underscores a significant uptick in Russian vessels "poking around."

  “We know the threat that Russia poses... and we know they are developing new capabilities all the time.”
  — John Healey [06:36]

• Military Caution:

  • First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins stresses the need to maintain a technological lead but admits the competition has intensified.

  “We’re still ahead in the Atlantic, but it’s not by as much of an advantage as I would like.”
  — Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins [06:50]

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Notable Quotes

• On the digital potential of India:

  “Almost a billion people are online here in India and this is a market that Amazon is wanting to exploit more.”
  — Archana Shukla [01:40]

• On India as a China alternative:

  “India is stepping up to show that they can be the next alternative to China.”
  — Archana Shukla [02:56]

• On the UK’s defensive response:

  “I think we are being pressed, and we’re definitely in a competition to stay ahead of where the Russians are.”
  — Gen. Sir Gwyn Jenkins [06:54]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Amazon India Investment & Analysis: 00:58–03:30
• Global Markets Update: 03:32–03:59
• UK Navy Countering Russian Threats: 03:59–07:02

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This episode provides a snapshot of the evolving tech investment landscape in India, the shifting dynamics between the US, China, and India, and the UK’s high-tech response to escalating undersea threats from Russia. The tone remains analytical yet accessible, making complex developments comprehensible for the business-minded listener.

Transcript

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[William Lee Adams]

Amazon Becomes the Latest Tech Giant to Announce a Mega Investment in India Live from the UK this is the Marketplace Morning report from the BBC World Service. I'm William Lee Adams. Good morning. Amazon has announced plans to double its investment in India by 2030, focused on artificial intelligence and E commerce. It comes after Microsoft and Google also laid out multi billion dollar spending plans for AI in India. The BBC's Archana Shukla is in Delhi. Hi Arch.

[Archana Shukla]

Hi William.

[William Lee Adams]

So what commitments has Amazon made?

[Archana Shukla]

Well, Amazon has said that they would be investing about $35 billion till 2030 and this is in line with the investments they have been committing over the last couple of years. We know that till 2024 the company has invested about $40 billion in India and now this $35 billion till 2030 will literally double their investment in Asia's third largest economy and a market that Amazon is really eyeing because of the large rapid Internet user base here. We know almost a billion people are online here in India and this is a market that Amazon is wanting to exploit more.

[William Lee Adams]

We know that Microsoft and Google are among the other tech companies investing heavily in India along with Amazon. Why is all this investment coming in now?

[Archana Shukla]

This is where there is a large consumer base. This is where people are spending money. It's a large middle class. This is also a place where the digital market is expanding very fast. About a billion people online. We have 75045 million smartphone users here in India and this is a market that no big tech company now wants to miss out on. They're also trying to look at the pool of skilled manpower that can support their base here.

[William Lee Adams]

By contrast, US tech investment in China is declining. Is India in some way benefiting from US China tensions?

[Archana Shukla]

It certainly looks like that because US China tensions are driving some of these companies to look to diversify. The supply chains, look to tap into India's talent pool and somewhere reduce reliance on China. So India is stepping up to show that they can be the next alternative to China. This is one of the stated objectives of Prime Minister Modi, to be a reliable China plus one alternative for most companies that want to diversify. And the money is coming in real and the ambition is also real. But there still needs to be ironing out of a lot in terms of infrastructure and regulations for India to benefit from this.

[William Lee Adams]

Archana, thanks for joining us on Marketplace.

[Archana Shukla]

Thank you so much, William.

[William Lee Adams]

Okay, let's do the numbers. Silver was up 1.2% at over $61. It reached an all time high amid surging demand from the tech industry. It's climbed more than 100% this year. Elsewhere, Nintendo shares slid 2.6% to hit their lowest level since May. The gaming company has lost $14 billion in market value so far this month amid fears the surging cost of memory chips will cut profits.

The UK's Royal Navy is developing ways to counter what the government regards as an increasingly serious threat from Russia to cut its critical undersea infrastructure. The move follows a series of recent incidents in which Russian vessels have been found operating suspiciously around UK waters. The BBC's Paul Adams reports.

[Paul Adams]

In the hunt for Russian intruders, the Navy is looking for solutions.

Off the west coast of Scotland, an underwater glider, like a torpedo with wings, dives under the waves and drifts off into the darkness, bristling with sensors. The SG1 fathom is capable of patrolling for months on end. It's designed to operate autonomously in large packs. It's made by the German defence technology company Helsing, but it's here being trialled for the Royal Navy. Katie Raine is the program manager.

[Katie Raine]

So the glider operates under the waves. It patrols through the depths of the oceans, monitoring and listening for adversaries that might be in the area. What it does is the AI actually embedded in the glider processes and identifies those threats more quickly than we've been able to do previously.

[Paul Adams]

It's all part of a network the Navy is calling Atlantic Bastion, a system which links drones, warships and surveillance aircraft in an effort to protect vital undersea cables and pipelines. The urgency of the project was underlined recently by the activities of a Russian research vessel suspected of secretly mapping Britain's critical undersea infrastructure. Part of a wider pattern of Russian activity at sea and in the air, causing ripples of alarm across Europe. In Portsmouth, the Defence Secretary John Healy and his Norwegian counterpart are piped aboard an experimental ship ship the Patrick Blackett, used as a test bed for new technologies. This is T150 drone, 150 pounds in weight or 68 kilograms in metric. On the deck, an array of high tech gear including drones and a pilotless helicopter. On the water beside us, a crewless speedboat zips up and down and up. On the dock looms Excalibur, the navy's unmanned and highly experimental submarine. This is about keeping us ahead of the Russians. John Healey is clear about what all this is for. The past two years have seen a sharp increase in the number of Russian vessels poking around in British waters. We know the threat that Russia poses. We know that they are mapping our undersea cables and our networks and our pipelines. And we know that they are developing new capabilities all the time.

Looking on as the politicians are briefed is the man charged with supervising Britain's response, the First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins.

[General Sir Gwyn Jenkins]

I would say we the Allies, we're still ahead in the Atlantic, but it's not by as much of an advantage as I would like. I think we are being pressed and we're definitely in a competition to stay ahead of where the Russians are.

[Paul Adams]

Russia says it's Britain that's being provocative, even hysterical. But the military says it's clear eyed about the current dangers and it's working closely with industry to address them as quickly as possible.

[William Lee Adams]

Paul Adams reporting. Do subscribe to our podcast search for the global edition of Marketplace Morning Report on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get yours in the uk I'm William Lee Adams with the Marketplace Morning Report.

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