DPIIT to address data storage aspect of draft e-commerce policy in meeting

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jan 13, 2020

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade will meet with industry representatives on January 14 to discuss a draft e-commerce policy on data storage following concerns from foreign e-commerce businesses.

 
After the DPIIT released a draft e-commerce policy in February 2019, its proposal to restrict cross-border data flow and store sensitive data locally was met with concern by foreign e-commerce businesses. The DPIIT plans to meet with industry representatives from businesses including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Adobe to discuss the issue on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India reported. 
 
Indian organisations including the E-commerce Council of India, Informational Technology Industry Council, Confederation of Indian Industry, and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry are also scheduled to attend the meeting which will be chaired by a DPIIT secretary level officer. They will also give their perspective on whether or not data localisation should be made mandatory.

The DPIIT aims to release its national e-commerce policy by the end of the current financial year and so the meeting aims to clear up several issues pertaining to the document. The policy has to straddle the interests of Indian businesses and traders’ bodies and those of large foreign owned businesses operating in India and bringing in sizeable investments to the country.