CAIT protests against plans to change Indian e-com policy

Calling the Indian Government's reported move to drop the draft e-commerce policy as a regressive step, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) recently wrote to commerce minister Suresh Prabhu registering its protest against the dilly dallying. This followed reports that a committee of secretaries will be set up to decide on a fresh set of recommendations.

Delayed for more than three years, the policy, if dropped, will be an assault on fair trade practices in e-commerce and will offer scope to e-commerce portals to continue with predatory pricing, deep discounting and loss funding, creating an uneven level playing field, CAIT said in its letter.

"If the policy is shelved, it will imply that the government is succumbing to the pressure of MNCs and online companies who want the e-commerce market to remain a a freeplay ground," a news agency reported quoting the letter.