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Google invests $550 million in Chinese e-commerce company
MUMBAI: American multinational technology company, Google, is all set to invest $550 million in China’s second largest e-commerce company JD.com. The move comes as part of the technology giant’s effort to expand its presence in fast growing Asian market.
Under the agreement, Google will receive 27,106,948 newly issued JD.com Class A ordinary shares at an issue price of $20.29 per share, equivalent to $40.58 per ADS, based on the volume-weighted average trading price over the prior 10 trading days.
With this partnership, Google will own less than a per cent stake in the company. Beyond the cash investment, the deal will also include promotion of JD goods on Google’s shopping service. This will also help JD.com expand its base beyond China and Southeast Asia to establish a string presence in U.S. and European markets.
By applying JD’s supply chain and logistics expertise and Google’s technology strengths, the two companies aim to explore the creation of next generation retail infrastructure solutions, with the goal of offering helpful, personalised and frictionless shopping experiences.
In a blog post, Google president of Asia-Pacific Karim Temsamani said, “We want to accelerate how retail ecosystems deliver consumer experiences that are helpful, personalised and offer high quality service in a range of countries around the world, including in Southeast Asia.”
“By applying JD.com’s supply chain and logistics expertise and our technology strengths, we’re going to explore new ways retailers can make shopping effortless for their consumers, giving them the power to shop wherever and however they want,” Karim added.
It is noteworthy that Google’s main services are essentially blocked in China ver its refusal to censor search results in line with local laws. For this, Google announced that the agreement initially would not involve any major new Google initiatives in China.
JD.com chief strategy officer Jianwen Liao in an official statement said, “This partnership with Google opens up a broad range of possibilities to offer a superior retail experience to consumers throughout the world. This marks an important step in the process of modernising global retail. As we celebrate our June 18 anniversary sale, this partnership opens a new chapter in our history.”
The Asia-Pacific region is one of the largest and fastest growing e-commerce marketplaces in the world. People in Southeast Asia alone are expected to spend $88.1 billion online by 2025. These consumers in Asia-Pacific are ready to buy, but hard to please. The growth of access to the internet and online retail has led to rising expectations for top-notch experiences at every step of the shopper’s journey.
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Orient Electric CHRO Aditya Kohli steps down
Senior HR leader exits CK Birla Group firm after brief tenure
GURUGRAM: Orient Electric announced the resignation of its chief human resources officer, Aditya Kohli, citing personal career reasons.
In a regulatory filing, the company said Kohli, who is also part of its senior management personnel, submitted his resignation on 24 February, 2026, after nearly four years with the company. His last working day will be 24 March, 2026, at the close of business hours.
Kohli brought more than two decades of experience across India and international markets, having previously worked with firms such as Hewitt Associates, Standard Chartered Bank, Bharti Airtel and Clix Capital.
During his tenure, Kohli was involved in areas spanning talent management, HR transformation, culture and change initiatives, and HR technology, according to earlier company disclosures.
The company said Kohli has resigned to pursue another professional opportunity outside the organisation. Further details related to the resignation, along with a copy of his resignation letter, have been shared as part of the statutory disclosures.
Orient Electric has not yet announced a successor or outlined interim arrangements for the role.
