Amazon buys publishing biz of Tata-owned Westland

Mumbai: US-based e-commerce giant Amazon today said it is acquiring the publishing business of Tata-owned Westland for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will enable authors of Westland, a subsidiary of Tata Group firm Trent, to grow their physical and digital book businesses in India as well as expand their reach to customers globally, Amazon said. Earlier this year, the online marketplace had acquired a 26% stake in the Tata-owned publishing company. “Our acquisition of Westland continues our commitment to India — enabling Amazon to bring Westland’s highly talented authors and their books to even more customers in India and around the world,” said Amit Agarwal, Vice-President and Country Manager at Amazon India. “Since investing in Westland earlier this year, we have built a great relationship with the company and its authors. PTI