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The Centre called a meeting of key stakeholders, including e-commerce players such as Amazon, Flipkart, Tata, Snapdeal, retailers bodies and traders’ associations on Tuesday to discuss the provisions of a draft comprehensive e-commerce policy covering all web-based transactions, including digital commerce and online services.
Traders’ body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) strongly argued for a robust and unambiguous e-commerce policy that will establish an empowered Regulatory Authority on the pattern of TRAI, according to a statement issued by CAIT following the meeting.
FDI policy
Alleging that many provisions of the FDI policy have been continuously violated by foreign funded e-commerce companies, CAIT proposed that the e-commerce policy should have clear stipulations about transparent operations of e-commerce platforms and avoidance of conflict of interest between marketplace platforms, sellers & various service providers on the platform.
It also made a case for easy accessibility, adequate grievance redressal system and non-discriminatory access of marketplace platforms to all stakeholders and value chain, per the statement.
Also read: Govt studying e-comm players’ views on proposed rules, policy
According to sources who attended the meeting, e-commerce players such as Amazon and Flipkart reiterated that they have been focusing on leveraging technology to build an ecosystem of inclusive growth and have been working closely with kiranas, small businesses and artisans in the country.
The meeting was chaired by Department for Promotion Investments and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Additional Secretary Anil Agarwal. Others who attended the meeting include All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation, Retailers Association of India, Laghu Udyog Bharti and Federation of Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (FISME).
In June 2021, the Consumer Affairs Ministry had come up with a revised draft of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, proposing prohibition of deep discounts and flash sales on e-commerce sites and making e-commerce marketplaces take responsibility for goods sold. This had resulted in strong protests from major e-commerce players which argued that it went against the spirit of the FDI policy.
The government’s effort now is to come up with an e-commerce policy that will plug all existing loopholes in rules governing online commerce while giving a fair hearing to concerns of foreign-funded e-commerce players.
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