Daily Insights:

As Amazon tries to block Future Group from selling its retail assets to Reliance, the e-commerce giant reportedly demanded $40M to waive its right of first refusal to Future Retail. (Click to Tweet)

Hey all, we are constantly looking to improve our newsletters and would greatly appreciate your feedback! Please let us know:

Future Group claims Amazon demanded $40M to waive its right of first refusal of Future Retail. Amazon is seeking to block Future Group from selling its retail assets to Indian conglomerate Reliance.

More:

• Reliance purchased Future Retail for $3.4B in August. In 2019, Amazon acquired a 49% stake in Future Group, which owns 7.3% of Future Retail. This gave Amazon a 3.58% stake in Future Retail.
• As part of its investment, Amazon had a right of first refusal and inserted a non-compete clause.
• Earlier this month, the Delhi Court in India froze the sale of Future Retail to Reliance after Amazon raised objections. One week later, another bench on the same court overturned that ruling.
• Amazon has taken this case to the Indian Supreme Court in order to block the deal. It claims it will face “irreparable harm” if the acquisition goes ahead.

Social media app Parler returned to the internet on Monday, more than a month after Amazon suspended its access to Amazon Web Services. Parler said it's not working with a "big tech" partner and is now "built on sustainable, independent technology."

More:

• Parler, which is similar to Twitter, was popular amongst right-wing conservatives and Trump supporters.
• Along with other tech giants such as Apple and Google, Amazon blocked the app after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6.
• Amazon defended its decision, saying it had "flagged dozens of pieces of violent content" on the app, dating back to November.
• Parler sued Amazon in response. However, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit.

Amazon will begin manufacturing its Fire TV Sticks in India. Foxconn Technology Group, a manufacturing partner of Amazon, will begin producing the devices later this year at one of its facilities in the southern state of Chennai.

More:

• This marks the first time Amazon will produce devices in the South Asian nation, joining other tech giants such as Apple and Samsung.
• Amazon said it will produce hundreds of thousands of Fire TV sticks annually.
• Amit Agarwal, head of Amazon's Indian operations, informed Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, of the news in a show of commitment to the government's "Made in India" plan.
• India is an important market for Amazon's ambitions, and in 2019, the e-commerce giant opened a 9.5-acre campus that can house 15,000 employees. It pledged $5.5B to fund its expansion.

Amazon Prime Video canceled the supernatural comedy series "Truth Seekers" after a single season. Co-creator Nick Frost announced the news in a since-deleted post on Instagram, calling it "a massive kick in the willy for me."

More:

• Frost and frequent collaborator Simon Pegg created the series alongside Nat Saunders and James Serafinowicz, and both appeared in on-screen roles.
• The show concerned a team of part-time paranormal investigators in the U.K.
• The full first season of "Truth Seekers" is now streaming on Prime Video.

A version of this story first appeared in Inside Streaming. You can read the full issue here.

QUICK HITS:

• Thinking about investing in real estate? Distressed real estate markets provide tons of opportunity for savvy investors. Learn about investing in Caliber.* 
• The Competition Commission of India is investigating whether banks carry out biased practices to provide cashback offers for purchases in large e-commerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon. 
• Bloomberg has outlined all the "moonshot projects" incoming Amazon CEO Andy Jassy will inherit from outgoing CEO Jeff Bezos.
• Amazon opened a new 148,000 square-foot delivery station in Salem, Mass. that will support 175 full- and part-time jobs.
• Frustrated that Wall St. plays by a different set of rules? This company aims to even the playing field, and is built like a hedge fund for all investors.*

*This is sponsored content