Amazon.com Inc. has launched Amazon Air, its cargo airline, in India.
The tech giant has teamed up with Quikjet Airlines, a cargo airline based in Bengaluru, to start Amazon Air out of Hyderabad, which is also where its India headquarters are located.
The operations kick off with two planes, and this is the first time the e-commerce giant has launched its air service outside of North America and Europe.
Though India is Amazon's fastest-growing and biggest market, "growth has come at a high cost of over $6.5 billion invested to-date, while profitability remains elusive," according to analysts at Bernstein.
In November last year, as part of its annual operating plan review, Amazon shut three business units in India: Amazon Distribution, Amazon Academy, and Amazon Food.
The launch also comes as it eliminates as many as 18,000 roles globally, amid wider tech layoffs and macroeconomic uncertainty.
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