The Amazon logo is seen outside its JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, US Nov 25, 2020. (BRENDAN MCDERMID / REUTERS)
BENGALURU – Amazon.com Inc said on Thursday it would shut down its online learning platform for high-school students in India less than two years of its launch, without citing a reason.
The winding down comes at a time when multiple edtech firms are reeling under the pressure of schools and coaching centres reopening across India after COVID-19-induced lockdowns
The Amazon Academy platform, launched early last year amid a boom in virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, offered coaching for competitive exams including Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), which allows entry into top engineering colleges across India.
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Based on an assessment, the ecommerce giant said in a statement that it had made the decision to discontinue Amazon Academy "in a phased manner to take care of current customers".
The winding down comes at a time when multiple edtech firms are reeling under the pressure of schools and coaching centres reopening across India after COVID-19-induced lockdowns.
Last month, industry leader Byju's had said it would lay off 2,500 employees as it pushes to turn profitable.
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Other players Unacademy, Toppr, WhiteHat Jr, and Vedantu had also announced layoffs earlier this year, as per local media reports.