Bengaluru: Amazon India is now under the scanner of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA) for not implementing the Kannada language rules in its daily functioning. The KDA is a state government department set up to oversee the promotion of Kannada in the state.
On Wednesday, KDA issued a notice to the e-commerce major, which has its India headquarters in Bengaluru, and provided 15 days time to implement all the state rules.
According to sources, KDA has directed Amazon to provide details such as total number of employees at its Bengaluru office, number of Kannada-speaking employees, action taken by the company to implement Kannada in various departments, including customer service, and efforts to familiarize its employees with Kannada language.
The KDA pointed out that Amazon has lakhs of customers in Karnataka but has not initiated any action to promote Kannada language within its administration. “If any Kannada-speaking customer contacts the customer care representatives, they are told to speak either in English or Hindi,” the notice stated.
As per the notice, the Department of Industries, Bengaluru Urban DC and other authorities have been directed to monitor the issue.
Confirming the notice, KDA Chairman Dr L. Hanumanthaiah said that the notice was issued following complaints that Amazon India was refusing to sell Kannada books on its e-book platform Kindle. “Amazon India is operating in this state and it is its responsibility to promote Kannada. Based on the complaints we received we have issued the notice,” he said. However sources in the state government were skeptical and said the KDA notice would not serve any purpose other than get some negative publicity.
