THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, FEBRUARY 21, 2026

KIIT University conferred its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award on David A. Zapolsky, Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer, Amazon US, during a special ceremony on Friday.

The event was attended by Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT and KISS, along with senior officials from Amazon India.

In a wide-ranging and candid conversation with KIIT Vice Chancellor Prof. Saranjit Singh, Zapolsky spoke about Amazon’s deepening engagement with India, the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence, and his advice to young students preparing for a rapidly evolving world.

Highlighting India’s growing importance in Amazon’s global strategy, Mr. Zapolsky noted that the company has invested nearly USD 40 billion in the country, including major investments in data infrastructure and cloud computing. Amazon operates data centres in Mumbai and Hyderabad and last year alone committed an additional USD 35 billion to strengthen its India footprint.

 “India is a leader in shaping the global conversation around AI,” he said, praising the clarity of vision articulated by the country. “No nation has expressed as clearly as India what it wants to achieve with AI. Our role will be to provide the infrastructure to support that ambition.”

He announced Amazon’s partnership with the Government of India to expand AI and STEM education to reach 40 million public school children across the country. The initiative focuses on skilling the next generation to become AI-capable workers. He emphasized that corporations must tailor their CSR initiatives to their core competencies, adding that Amazon aims to leverage its technological and logistical strengths for community impact, including disaster relief and environmental efforts.

On the subject of AI governance, Mr. Zapolsky made significant reference to regulation. He noted that while it is still early to understand how AI will be implemented fully, thoughtful regulation — backed by strong compliance frameworks — will be essential to ensure technology is deployed ethically and responsibly.

Addressing students, Zapolsky offered deeply personal advice. Recounting his own unconventional career journey, from aspiring scientist and musician to prosecutor in Brooklyn and later Amazon executive, he urged young people not to chase prestige or salary. “Listen to your gut. Do what makes you happy. When you pursue your passion, opportunities follow,” he said.

Encouraging students to “learn and be curious,” he concluded that aligning career choices with personal values ultimately creates both success and fulfilment.

During the day, he also visited the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) campus and interacted with the students, praising the institute’s remarkable growth and contribution towards tribal empowerment.