CAIT will launch India-wide protest against FDI in retail

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Dec 20, 2018

On Dec.19, the Confederation of All India Traders announced that it will launch a new wave of pan-India protests imploring the government to swiftly produce an e-commerce policy and stop foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail trade.

"CAIT on the strength of seven crore small businesses will launch a nationwide agitation and the strategy of which will be finalised in forthcoming meeting of National Governing Council of CAIT on 12-13 January at Bhopal," said CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal at a protest rally in New Delhi, as reported by IANS.

Khandelwal stated that FDI in India’s retail trade is harming and will continue to harm the national economy. There has been an influx of US-based businesses into the Indian market against which CAIT has aggressively protested. The organisation is still holding protests against the Walmart-Flipkart acquisition deal and aims to continue to do so despite the deal being finalised.

CAIT held a protest in New Delhi on Dec. 19 to demand the then current session of Parliament to produce a bill on sealing business establishments in Delhi. CAIT stated at the protest that Delhi’s trading has been negatively impacted by the sealing of businesses in the city.