A briefing note prepared for former Amazon.com Inc's executive Jay Carney, before his meeting with India's ambassador to the United States (US) back in 2019 praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him "simple, logical, and straightforward".
The note prepared by the e-commerce giant's employees was readied in the backdrop of the Indian government's just announced foreign direct investment regulations that threatened to disrupt Amazon's business in India.
The briefing note advised Carney on what to say and what not to say during his meeting with Indian ambassador to the US in Washington, D.C., and is contained in hundreds of internal Amazon documents reported by Reuters.
The documents assessed by the agency are dated between 2012 and 2019. They comprise drafts of meeting notes, PowerPoint slides, business reports and emails. One of the notes contains a frank appraisal of Modi's "straight forward" style of thinking, sizing him up as "not an intellectual."
"PM Modi is not an intellectual or an academic but believes that strong administration and governance is the key to running a successful government," the document comprising a brief appraisal of PM Modi revealed.
"He is known to like simple, logical, straightforward thinking without excessive academic jargon," disclosed the internal documents that were leaked and reviewed by the agency.
Asked about the description of Modi, Amazon said it was committed to the prime minister's vision for India's digital economy and believes it can help by getting 10 million medium and small businesses online, among other steps.
Both in public and in private meetings, Amit Agarwal, Global SVP and Country Leader for Amazon India emphasised that the company was helping the little guy.
Ahead of a scheduled meeting with India's ambassador to the United States in January 2016, a document was prepared for Agarwal and other executives.
"We are committed to transforming lives of SMBs," or small-and-medium businesses, reads a talking point contained in a draft of the document.