AIOVA wants special body to regulate e-commerce firms

By

Maverick Martins

Published
May 15, 2018

All India Online Vendors Association (AIOVA), a body representing e-sellers in India has requested the government to set up an independent body to regulate the e-commerce industry in the country.
 

AIOVA earlier had expressed its displeasure over the way the e-commerce industry is monitored in India and had urged the government to probe the recently signed Walmart-Flipkart deal worth $16 billion.
 
The seller’s body, which represents over 3,500 sellers through e-commerce marketplaces like Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal, feels that foreign investments in these marketplaces could have adverse effect on their business.

The sellers have also accused the government of conniving with e-commerce firms that have led to violation of FDI (foreign direct investment) policy.
 
"AIOVA has been demanding a regulatory body to monitor the trade of e-commerce marketplaces and their policies towards sellers. We had made this demand in the E-commerce Committee formed under Niti Aayog in the year 2016 where we were assured they will immediately start working on it," the association said in a statement.
 
"The working of the think tank is questionable as it kept sellers and our association out of the discussion nor are they including our demands as part of their agenda. Our dissent was duly expressed to them," AIOVA said.
 
"Sadly, Government of India as a whole has not opened any investigations in the open and blatant violation of FDI Policy of the country by certain 'pseudo marketplaces', this has caused injustice to thousands of e-sellers," it said.