India reviews draft e-commerce policy after criticism
6 years, 5 months ago

India reviews draft e-commerce policy after criticism

Live Mint  

India is reworking proposed e-commerce rules after a draft, which had signalled a shift toward boosting domestic startups, sparked criticism, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private. Commerce minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted on 11 August that his ministry had received a “few concerns” on the draft e-commerce policy and will reach out to stakeholders to address them. The discussions may lead to an overhaul and a fresh draft e-commerce policy will be posted in a few weeks on the ministry’s website, the person said. The 19-page draft e-commerce policy, a copy of which has been seen by Bloomberg, underscored India’s intent to examine every aspect of e-commerce regulation from data localization to antitrust rules. Broadly the draft had signalled “some kind of protectionist thinking,” said Nandan Nilekani, chairman of Infosys Ltd. “It may stem from a feeling that Indian startups should be given a boost, something on the lines of the China model.” Unlike its neighbour, India has allowed Silicon Valley giants like Facebook and Google to dominate entire segments including search, social and messaging.

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History of this topic

DC Edit | E-com policy initiative welcome
1 year, 4 months ago

DC Edit | E-com policy initiative welcome

Deccan Chronicle  

The Union government’s decision to finalise the long overdue national e-commerce policy is a welcome move, which will guide one of the fast-growing sectors of the Indian economy. By offering huge discounts, the e-commerce sector has gradually transformed from a $14-billion market in 2014 to $70-billion in 2022 — a growth of five times affecting fortunes of hundreds of brick-and-mortar …

National e-commerce policy in final stages; to be presented before top-level: Report
1 year, 4 months ago

National e-commerce policy in final stages; to be presented before top-level: Report

Hindustan Times  

The proposed national e-commerce policy being formulated by the commerce and industry ministry is in the final stages and no new draft policy will be issued now for seeking views of stakeholders, a senior government official said. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade on August 2 held a detailed discussion with representatives of e-commerce firms and a …

Centre To Create New Framework to Detect Fake Reviews on E-Commerce Sites
2 years, 7 months ago

Centre To Create New Framework to Detect Fake Reviews on E-Commerce Sites

News 18  

The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said the government would build a framework to combat fraudulent reviews on e-commerce websites. The announcement comes a day after Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh met several stakeholders on May 27 to discuss the issue of false reviews on e-commerce platforms. According to a statement, at the meeting with …

Proposed e-commerce policy to be robust, balanced, says Piyush Goyal
3 years, 3 months ago

Proposed e-commerce policy to be robust, balanced, says Piyush Goyal

The Hindu  

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday assured that every stakeholder's interest will be taken into consideration while framing the e-commerce policy which would be robust and in the interest of every Indian. Mr. Goyal, who heads Commerce and Industry as well as Consumer Affairs ministries, also said that he welcomes all the feedback on the draft e-commerce rules but comments …

India’s e-commerce regulatory contradictions: P2B regulatory blindspot
3 years, 4 months ago

India’s e-commerce regulatory contradictions: P2B regulatory blindspot

Hindustan Times  

Despite numerous statutory instruments applicable to E-marketplaces in India, the regulation of platform-to-business users relationships leaves a great deal to be desired. The rise of e-marketplaces in India Of the many emerging trends in Indian e-commerce over the past decade, a notable one is the budding popularity of ‘e-marketplaces’- online platforms that connect sellers/business users with consumers. This indispensable position …

What led to Piyush Goyal’s outburst against India Inc.?
3 years, 4 months ago

What led to Piyush Goyal’s outburst against India Inc.?

The Hindu  

The story so far : Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal launched a verbal attack last week against Indian corporations, alleging that they were putting their narrow business interests ahead of the larger national interest. The Tata Group is also concerned that under the new rules it won’t be able to sell goods offered by Starbucks, in which it holds a …

Will the new e-commerce rules really favour consumers?
3 years, 5 months ago

Will the new e-commerce rules really favour consumers?

The Hindu  

In June, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution came out with a list of proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection Act of 2019. Anupam Manur and Prithwiraj Mukherjee discuss the proposed amendments in a conversation moderated by Prashanth Perumal J. Edited excerpts: What is your view on the draft e-commerce rules? I think the rules are …

E-commerce rules: The pushback begins
3 years, 5 months ago

E-commerce rules: The pushback begins

Live Mint  

E-commerce companies and industry associations gave their recommendations to the government, calling for several changes to the proposed Consumer Protection Rules, 2020, on Wednesday, the last day to submit their feedback. By widening the definition, the government might be risking forcing even smaller sellers to comply with the proposed e-commerce rules, increasing the compliance burden and affecting their ease of …

Draft E-commerce Rules: Why are online retailers concerned? | The Hindu In Focus Podcast
3 years, 6 months ago

Draft E-commerce Rules: Why are online retailers concerned? | The Hindu In Focus Podcast

The Hindu  

The Consumer Affairs Ministry last month issued a set of new draft e-commerce rules that has some of the top e-commerce sites rather worried. According to the government, these rules seek to protect consumer interest, prevent unfair trade practices, and encourage fair competition. Among other things, the rules bar certain kinds of flash sales and mis-selling, and make it mandatory …

U.S. lobby group views India's e-commerce plan as worrying
3 years, 6 months ago

U.S. lobby group views India's e-commerce plan as worrying

The Hindu  

A top lobby group that is part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce believes India's proposed new e-commerce rules are a cause for concern and will lead to a stringent operating environment for companies, according to an email reviewed by Reuters. India this week spooked online retailers like Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart by outlining plans to limit "flash sales", reining …

Explained: Will proposed e-commerce rules do away with flash sales, boost Make In India?
3 years, 6 months ago

Explained: Will proposed e-commerce rules do away with flash sales, boost Make In India?

Firstpost  

Along the lines of the grievance officers that social media platforms are required to appoint an India, e-commerce platforms, too, will be mandated to create the roles of a chief compliance officer, nodal contact person, and resident grievance officer The e-commerce marketplace in India is already worth more than $80 billion this year and, by 2027, will have touched $200 …

EXPLAINED: Will Proposed Changes To E-Commerce Rules Do Away With Flash Sales, Boost Make In India?
3 years, 6 months ago

EXPLAINED: Will Proposed Changes To E-Commerce Rules Do Away With Flash Sales, Boost Make In India?

News 18  

The e-commerce marketplace in India is already worth more than $80 billion this year and, by 2027, will have touched $200 billion in value. But the amended rules say that such “no e-commerce entity shall organise a flash sale of goods or services offered on its platform” where such a sale is “organised by fraudulently intercepting the ordinary course of …

Policy creep: The Hindu Editorial on e-commerce and overregulation risks
3 years, 6 months ago

Policy creep: The Hindu Editorial on e-commerce and overregulation risks

The Hindu  

Barely 11 months after the Government notified the Consumer Protection Rules, 2020, the Department of Consumer Affairs has mooted a set of sweeping amendments, ostensibly “to protect the interests of consumers. Among them is a norm stipulating the appointment of a chief compliance officer, a nodal contact person for 24x7 coordination with law enforcement agencies, and another requiring e-commerce entities …

Explained: Government Proposes New E-commerce Rules, Here's What it Means for Consumers
3 years, 6 months ago

Explained: Government Proposes New E-commerce Rules, Here's What it Means for Consumers

News 18  

The central government on Monday proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection Rules, 2020 and sought public comments on banning “mis-selling” and fraudulent “flash sale” of goods and services on e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart and Amazon. The new draft rules have also proposed that every e-commerce entity which intends to operate in India must register itself with the Department for …

New Indian e-com policy may change your Flipkart, Amazon shopping experience
3 years, 10 months ago

New Indian e-com policy may change your Flipkart, Amazon shopping experience

India Today  

The Indian government is drafting a new policy for e-commerce retailers in India that will require Amazon, Flipkart and others to treat sellers equally. Notably, the new e-commerce policy will apply to Amazon, Flipkart and all other online retailers that follow a similar model. New e-commerce policy: What it could mean for various Amazon and Flipkart sales While the new …

DPIIT mulls national retail policy for ease of doing biz, digital push
4 years, 1 month ago

DPIIT mulls national retail policy for ease of doing biz, digital push

Live Mint  

The department for promotion of industry and internal trade is fine-tuning a discussion paper on formulating a national retail policy for the country. The discussion paper covers several dimensions to formulate a retail trade policy, including ease of doing business, regulatory reforms, upskilling of the workforce within the sector and enabling retail traders to be more digitally adept. CII, along …

CAIT urges govt to take action against e-commerce firms flouting FDI policy, indulging in unfair practices
5 years ago

CAIT urges govt to take action against e-commerce firms flouting FDI policy, indulging in unfair practices

Firstpost  

CAIT also criticised the Ministry of MSME’s reported move to join hands with some prominent e-commerce companies for onboarding of small retailers on their platforms New Delhi: Traders’ body CAIT on Sunday urged the government to take action against e-commerce companies flouting Foreign Direct Investment norms and indulging in unfair practices. Terming such firms “global economic terrorist” and “economic intruders, …

Opinion | Draft IT rules will have a serious impact on the privacy of citizens
5 years, 1 month ago

Opinion | Draft IT rules will have a serious impact on the privacy of citizens

Live Mint  

Last month in an affidavit before the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology indicated that it will notify the Information Technology, 2018 in January 2020. These Draft Rules seek to amend the existing Intermediary Guidelines, which govern the flow of information across the internet. One of the most controversial aspects of the Draft Rules is the requirement …

Govt plans regulator to monitor online retailers, curb disputes
5 years, 2 months ago

Govt plans regulator to monitor online retailers, curb disputes

Live Mint  

India is examining the feasibility of setting up a regulatory authority to settle disputes related to e-commerce, a top government official said, amid a raging battle between big online retailers and mom-and-pop stores. “We plan to implement the policy within this financial year.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is under pressure from small traders to act against the big online …

Opinion | Over-regulation of e-commerce could stifle its growth
5 years, 2 months ago

Opinion | Over-regulation of e-commerce could stifle its growth

Live Mint  

With sales numbers from the recently concluded e-commerce sale season belying the perceived economic slowdown, the e-commerce sector’s resilience indicates an increasingly sharper understanding of what both India and Bharat want. Kirana outlets and e-commerce can go hand in hand, and their joint strength can result in significant job creation in line with the government’s policy and skill development goals. …

Govt to come out with national e-commerce policy within 12 months
5 years, 6 months ago

Govt to come out with national e-commerce policy within 12 months

Live Mint  

The government will come out with a national e-commerce policy within 12 months to facilitate achieving holistic growth of the sector, an official said. "We will put in place an institutional framework to bring out a national policy on e-commerce within next 12 months," the official said. The government in February released the draft national e-commerce policy proposing setting up …

Govt to come out with national e-commerce policy within 12 months, says commerce minister Piyush Goyal
5 years, 6 months ago

Govt to come out with national e-commerce policy within 12 months, says commerce minister Piyush Goyal

Firstpost  

New Delhi: The government will come out with a national e-commerce policy within 12 months to facilitate achieving holistic growth of the sector, an official said. “We will put in place an institutional framework to bring out a national policy on e-commerce within next 12 months,” the official said. The minister also stated that India wants to engage with the …

Government to come out with national e-commerce policy within 12 months
5 years, 6 months ago

Government to come out with national e-commerce policy within 12 months

India TV News  

The government will come out with a national e-commerce policy within 12 months to facilitate achieving holistic growth of the sector, an official said. "We will put in place an institutional framework to bring out a national policy on e-commerce within next 12 months," the official said. The government in February released the draft national e-commerce policy proposing setting up …

Data of consumers should be used for benefit of local economy: Indian e-commerce players
5 years, 6 months ago

Data of consumers should be used for benefit of local economy: Indian e-commerce players

India TV News  

Indian e-commerce companies on Monday flagged issues pertaining to the safety of data of Indian users stored abroad and said such information related to consumers in the country should benefit the local economy. Senior officials of various digital commerce companies - who met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday - also raised concerns over instances of non-compliance with …

DPIIT starts analysing stakeholders' views on draft e-commerce policy as deadline for sending comments ends today
5 years, 9 months ago

DPIIT starts analysing stakeholders' views on draft e-commerce policy as deadline for sending comments ends today

Firstpost  

New Delhi: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has started analysing the comments and suggestions received from stakeholders on the draft national e-commerce policy as the deadline for sending comments ends on Friday. The DPIIT, sources said, does not intend to extend the deadline for seeking views on the draft e-commerce policy. The draft has proposed setting …

Clarifications On FDI In E-Commerce Sector - The Predicament Of Marketplace Entities In India
5 years, 10 months ago

Clarifications On FDI In E-Commerce Sector - The Predicament Of Marketplace Entities In India

Live Law  

The e-commerce sector in India has grown exponentially in a relatively short span of time to become an industry worth billions, as on date. The Press Note 2018, as is the case with Press Note 2016, recognizes the following two categories of business models: Inventory based Model - wherein, any inventory of goods and services is owned by the e-commerce …

Highlights of Draft E-Commerce Policy
5 years, 10 months ago

Highlights of Draft E-Commerce Policy

Live Law  

On February 24, 2019, the government released the much awaited draft national e-commerce policy. The primary focus of the draft policy is centralisation of data arising in India and promotion of its use for the country's development. Restrictions on Cross border flow of Data Stricter restrictions are sought to be brought in through the draft policy on the cross border …

Opinion | India’s draft e-commerce policy is more a miss than a hit
5 years, 10 months ago

Opinion | India’s draft e-commerce policy is more a miss than a hit

Live Mint  

The much-anticipated draft e-commerce policy was released on 23 February. Take for example, the manner in which the draft e-commerce policy addresses the question of ownership of personal data. It implies that the Indian government does not trust its citizens to make the right choices about their personal data and that the state must therefore step in and manage it …

What are India’s new foreign direct investment rules for e-commerce?
5 years, 11 months ago

What are India’s new foreign direct investment rules for e-commerce?

Live Mint  

India late last year modified foreign direct investment rules for its burgeoning e-commerce sector that has attracted Walmart Inc and Amazon.com Inc, creating new hurdles for both global retail giants. * India allows 100 percent foreign direct investment in the marketplace model of e-commerce, which it defines as a tech platform that connects buyers and sellers. The inventory model, which …

E-commerce norms should treat domestic, foreign players equally to boost the industry: CUTS International
6 years ago

E-commerce norms should treat domestic, foreign players equally to boost the industry: CUTS International

Firstpost  

It said the government should frame a comprehensive national e-commerce policy to provide a level playing field to domestic and foreign e-retail companies New Delhi: Rules for the e-commerce sector should treat both domestic and overseas players equally to boost the fast-growing industry, research and advocacy firm CUTS International said Sunday. It said the government should frame a comprehensive national …

CAIT exhorts Suresh Prabhu not to revise FDI policy to the advantage of big e-comm firms
6 years ago

CAIT exhorts Suresh Prabhu not to revise FDI policy to the advantage of big e-comm firms

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Traders’ body CAIT Thursday asked the government not to bring in changes in the FDI policy on e-commerce that could give an upper hand to big players in the sector. The government last month announced changes to FDI policy for e-commerce sector, which would put an end to the barrage of discounts and cashback offers by online platforms …

Commerce and industry ministry drafting new e-commerce policy to boost online retail sector: DIPP secretary
6 years ago

Commerce and industry ministry drafting new e-commerce policy to boost online retail sector: DIPP secretary

Firstpost  

The draft had suggested to introduce a pre-set timeframe for offering differential pricing or deep discounts by e-commerce players to customers. New Delhi: The commerce and industry ministry is drafting a new e-commerce policy to boost the fast-growing online retail sector, a government official said Thursday. “We are in the process of drafting the new e-commerce policy,” Secretary in the …

Mukesh Ambani warns of ‘data colonization’ in Amazon’s hottest market
6 years ago

Mukesh Ambani warns of ‘data colonization’ in Amazon’s hottest market

Live Mint  

Mumbai: Indians should own and control their own data, billionaire Mukesh Ambani has said, coming out in favour of recent efforts by the Asian nation to draft strict rules around how digital information is stored and shared. “Data colonization is as bad as the previous forms of colonization,” Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd and Asia’s richest man, said at …

CAIT wants govt to launch e-commerce marketplace in partnership with trade associations
6 years, 1 month ago

CAIT wants govt to launch e-commerce marketplace in partnership with trade associations

Firstpost  

CAIT demanded early announcement of an e-commerce policy and formation of a Regulatory Authority to monitor the e-commerce business in India. New Delhi: Traders’ body CAIT Thursday urged the government to launch an e-commerce marketplace portal in partnership with trade associations where small traders, artisans and women entrepreneurs can sell their products in a ‘fair and transparent manner’. The Confederation …

Govt panel set to probe e-commerce firms’ big discounts
6 years, 3 months ago

Govt panel set to probe e-commerce firms’ big discounts

Live Mint  

New Delhi: A review of the competition law that has just started is set to find out if the steep discounts offered by online retailers promotes competition or stifles it as alleged by their old school rivals. Conventional retailers who compete with e-tailers are strongly opposed to discounts offered by online sellers arguing that it is aimed at displacing brick-and-mortar …

Traders' body CAIT writes to commerce minister Suresh Prabhu over plans to change draft e-commerce policy
6 years, 3 months ago

Traders' body CAIT writes to commerce minister Suresh Prabhu over plans to change draft e-commerce policy

Firstpost  

The Confederation of All India Traders said that the country’s e-commerce market has considerably grown in size and scale which needs a codified policy and a regulatory authority to regulate and monitor the market. Mumbai: Traders’ body CAIT on Wednesday termed the government’s reported move to drop the draft of e-commerce policy as a regressive step, and has written to …

Draft policy expects e-commerce platforms, search engines to store data locally
6 years, 5 months ago

Draft policy expects e-commerce platforms, search engines to store data locally

Firstpost  

The draft has been criticised in some quarters, prompting the commerce ministry to tweet on Saturday that “another round of consultation with stakeholders” will be done to address their concerns. New Delhi: A draft e-commerce policy wants online retailers such as Amazon.com, search engines like Google and social media platforms to locally store data generated by users in India, with …

What draft e-commerce policy means for India’s retail sector
6 years, 5 months ago

What draft e-commerce policy means for India’s retail sector

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Just a day before her retirement on 31 July, commerce secretary Rita Teotia tabled the draft e-commerce policy before a panel headed by commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu. The draft e-commerce policy, which effectively seeks to regulate all aspects of online retail and recommends strict restrictions, including curbs on discounts, may impact not just e-commerce companies, but …

Amazon, Flipkart want the draft e-commerce policy scrapped
6 years, 5 months ago

Amazon, Flipkart want the draft e-commerce policy scrapped

Live Mint  

New Delhi/Bengaluru: India’s largest e-commerce firms Amazon Seller Services Pvt. Ltd are lobbying the government to scrap the entire draft e-commerce policy, which recommends strict restrictions on online retail, including curbs on discounts, people familiar with the matter said. The two firms, which account for a majority of the $18 billion online retail market, were not part of the panel …

How India plans to regulate e-commerce
6 years, 5 months ago

How India plans to regulate e-commerce

Live Mint  

The government is planning to bring in an e-commerce law and a sector regulator to effectively deal with all aspects of online retail. A national e-commerce policy will also enable better negotiations on multilateral issues with the World Trade Organization. The draft e-commerce policy proposes that all discounts offered by large e-commerce firms be phased out within two years to …

Draft e-commerce policy: Govt to ensure level playing field for domestic players; all you need to know about the blueprint
6 years, 5 months ago

Draft e-commerce policy: Govt to ensure level playing field for domestic players; all you need to know about the blueprint

Firstpost  

Traders welcome the government’s move to formulate an e-commerce policy that mandates local storage of user data, and hoped the policy will help build robust reform. The think tank will now work on the final draft national policy for the e-commerce sector, based on the recommendations, which would be placed in the public domain for further comment. Data policy Data …

E-commerce, social media firms may be asked to store customer data locally; draft policy plan may 'unsettle' industry
6 years, 5 months ago

E-commerce, social media firms may be asked to store customer data locally; draft policy plan may 'unsettle' industry

Firstpost  

It comes at a time when deep-pocketed foreign players are rapidly investing in the e-commerce market, which Morgan Stanley estimates may be worth $200 billion in a decade. Mumbai/New Delhi: The government considering asking e-commerce and social media firms to exclusively store customer data locally, a move that could affect global giants that operate in the country such as Amazon, …

Commerce and industry ministry asks ED to look into complaints related to alleged violation of FDI norms
6 years, 5 months ago

Commerce and industry ministry asks ED to look into complaints related to alleged violation of FDI norms

Firstpost  

Traders body CAIT has time again filed complaints with the ministry on the issue and violation of FDI in e-commerce rules by certain online retail firms New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu on Wednesday said the ministry has asked the Enforcement Directorate to look into the complaints related to alleged violation of foreign direct investment norms by some …

Government in process of framing rules to regulate e-commerce sector, says Ram Vilas Paswan
6 years, 6 months ago

Government in process of framing rules to regulate e-commerce sector, says Ram Vilas Paswan

Firstpost  

While e-commerce in India is growing at an annual rate of 51 percent, the laws regulating the digital marketplaces are still evolving, Paswan said Geneva: India is in the process of framing rules to regulate the e-commerce sector, which is expected to touch $120 billion by 2020, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Wednesday. “The emergence …

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