On August 2, the government held a final consultation with key players in the industry, including Flipkart, Amazon, Zomato, Swiggy, Tata, Reliance, Shiprocket, Meesho, as well as industry bodies like CAIT, to discuss the long-awaited e-commerce policy. Officials indicated that the policy might soon be put into effect, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Government’s Final Consultation Signals Imminent Implementation of E-commerce Policy with Industry Leaders’ Support
During the meeting, several crucial aspects of the policy were deliberated upon, including private labels, preferential treatment of sellers, deep discounting, distinguishing between inventory-led e-commerce platforms and marketplaces, and establishing fall-back liability on e-commerce platforms.
A source close to the developments outlined some of the core tenets that were discussed, such as prioritizing customer interests, maintaining the distinction between inventory and marketplaces, encouraging digitization of MSMEs, avoiding involvement in allied logistics or payment operations, and considering the possibility of fall-back liability for e-commerce platforms. Additionally, the issue of preferred sellers and private labels associated with e-commerce platforms was also a topic of discussion
Stakeholders Unanimously Back Critical E-commerce Policy Amid Rapid Industry Growth
The stakeholders unanimously agreed on the necessity of a well-defined e-commerce policy and consumer protection rules, given the rapid growth of the industry. They assured their commitment to complying with the law in both letter and spirit.
Although the new version of the draft policy was not shared during the meeting, government officials informed the stakeholders that their concerns with an earlier draft had been largely addressed.
It was evident from the meeting that there was near-unanimous support for the e-commerce policy, with all stakeholders expressing the belief that such a policy was crucial for the country’s current needs.
The meeting, which took place in Delhi on August 2, was attended by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, DPIIT Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, and Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Singh.
