The tussle between e-commerce giants both existing ones like Amazon as well as the ones like the over $120 billion Tata Group that is still building its online retail vertical and India’s incoming controls has exploded out of closed doors. "When I see Tata Sons that they're objecting to some consumer benefit laws or regulations that I'm bringing in, then frankly it hurts," India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal reportedly said on August 12. The remarks were made during the event hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and have since been reportedly removed.
Goyal was referring to pushback from the e-commerce players against the incoming norms, which the government says are intended to protect the consumers in e-commerce. The deadline for seeking comments on the rules ended on July 21. While the rules at the centre of this debate are called ‘Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020,’ Goyal’s comments largely reflect the fear of the traders’ community, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh, lobbies that have been revolting against online retailers, particularly, foreign players like Amazon and Flipkart (now owned by US-based Walmart). “Six crore small shops, related to the retail business and employing almost 12 crore people, are being threatened now,” he said.
These are some of the rules that are making online retailers like Amazon, Flipkart and the 150-year old Tata Group-which is trying to build its online retail empire with the acquisition of startups like BigBasket, 1mg and curefit- nervous.
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