Jeff Bezos Predicts 21st Century Will Belong To India The billionaire stated that India has a certain dynamism and energy about it and that the most important alliance of the 21st century will be between the US and India

Jeff Bezos, founder of the world's largest online retailing company Amazon, made a surprise visit to Amazon India's event for small and medium businesses (SMBs) called Sambhav on January 15. The American Internet and aerospace entrepreneur in a fireside chat with Amazon India head Amit Agarwal talked about US-India relations, Amazon facilitation plans for SMBs, climate change and his aerospace manufacturing company Blue Origin, among other things.

Bezos On India

Wearing a blue jacket, made by an Indian SMB on Amazon, Bezos held India in high regards. He claimed the 21st century is going to be the "Indian century" and that the most important alliance of the 21st century is going to be between the US and India. "It is going to be an alliance between the world's largest democracy (India) and the world's oldest democracy (India)," said Bezos.

He stated that India has a certain dynamism and energy about it. He further added, "This country has something special and it's democracy."

Also Read: 5 Takeaways From Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' Talk At Smbhav

Climate Change Is Real

Bezos said the people who are denying climate change are not being reasonable. He said fighting climate change would require a collective effort from industrialists, small businesses, governments of various nation states and individuals. He talked about Amazon's Climate Pledge, which aims to reach the goals of the Paris Accord 10 years earlier. The company is going to use 100 per cent sustainable electricity by 2030.

He claimed that climate cautious actions taken by a big enterprise such as Amazon encourage small companies and can be a needle mover in the global efforts against climate change. "We have acquired 100,000 electric delivery vehicles and we will eliminate plastic by June 2020 in India," said Bezos.

Beyond Earth

Bezos spoke about "Dynamic Entrepreneurial Systems in the Space' and shared how space has always fascinated him. He said when he was a young boy, Niel Armstrong reached the moon which immensely fascinated him. Subsequently as a teenager Bezos studied about rockets and read books on space. "I have been passionate about space since I was five years old," said Bezos.

Talking about Blue Origin, his aerospace company, he said, "Earth is finite and we as a civilization have to make a choice." Bezos predicted that in future, "All the polluting industry will be off the earth to different planets," stating that till now only earth is suitable for human habitation unlike other planets in the solar system.

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