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Amazon AI chief Rohit Prasad exits as Andy Jassy redraws the company’s AI map
SEATTLE: Amazon is shaking up its artificial intelligence leadership just as the race for scale intensifies. Rohit Prasad, the company’s AI chief and a key architect of Alexa, will leave at the end of the year, triggering a sweeping reorganisation of Amazon’s generative AI ambitions.
In a blog post, chief executive Andy Jassy said Amazon is consolidating its biggest bets generative AI models, custom silicon and quantum computing into a single new organisation. The unit will be led by Peter DeSantis, a 27-year Amazon veteran who currently serves as a senior vice-president in the cloud business.
Prasad joined Amazon in 2013 during Alexa’s formative years and helped turn it from an ambitious experiment into a conversational AI service used by hundreds of millions of customers. Jassy credited him with building a strong team, differentiated technology and growing customer momentum, calling his leadership missionary, passionate and selfless.
The restructuring signals Amazon’s view that it has reached an inflection point. New technologies including proprietary AI models such as Nova, chips such as Graviton, Trainium and Nitro, and longer-term quantum bets are now central to the company’s future customer experience. Bringing them under one roof, Jassy argued, will help Amazon decide where these fast-growing businesses are best placed to maximise long-term value.
The move comes amid Amazon’s broader expansion push, including a $35bn investment plan in India aimed at accelerating digital transformation.
For Amazon, the message is unmistakable. The AI race is no longer about side projects and internal silos. It is about speed, scale and control. Prasad’s exit closes one chapter. The next will be louder, faster and far more consequential.
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Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI: Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
