Sept 18 (Reuters) - Amazon.com ( AMZN ) named Samir

Kumar as its new India head on Wednesday, handing the reins to a

25-year company veteran as the e-commerce giant faces intense

competition and regulatory pressures in the country.

Kumar was part of a team that launched Amazon India in 2013

and will take over from Manish Tiwary on Oct. 1, in addition to

his current role as head of Amazon's ( AMZN ) consumer businesses in the

Middle East, South Africa and Turkey.

Tiwary resigned last month, after an eight-year stint, to

pursue an opportunity outside the company, Amazon ( AMZN ) had said,

without elaborating further.

The change in leadership comes as the U.S. e-commerce giant

is fast expanding in India, with plans to invest up to $26

billion by 2030, even as it faces intense regulatory scrutiny.

Last week, Reuters reported India's antitrust body found

that Amazon ( AMZN ) and its biggest local rival Flipkart violated laws

by preferring select sellers, prioritising certain listings, and

steeply discounting products, hurting other companies.

The regulator could potentially impose fines on the

companies along with mandating them to change their business

practices.

(Reporting by Indranil Sarkar and Varun Hebbalalu in Bengaluru;

Editing by Savio D'Souza and Varun H K)