– CAIT demands immediate action on E-Com Giants for Violating India’s Laws
Mumbai :- While welcoming the Competition Commission of India (CCI) investigation report on Amazon & Flipkart, the Confederation of All India Traders( CAIT) has launched a scathing attack on foreign e-commerce giants calling for immediate action against the perpetrators of Indian sovereign laws.
CAIT Secretary General Emeritus and Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal said that soon he will raise the issue with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goel and will urge to roll out E commerce rules and e commerce policy so that e commerce players should not dare to violate the law. This move will be in furtherance of the statement given by Shri Goel few days back when he strongly condemned the practices adopted by e commerce companies- said Khandelwal. Under the regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no one will be spared who violate law.
CAIT National President BC Bhartia explaining the issue said that for several years these foreign funded e-commerce giants are damaging and destroying India’s retail market by adopting predatory tactics and anti competitive business practices. Through the Delhi Vyapaar Mahasangh, an Affiliate of CAIT, a complaint was registered in 2020 at the CCI demanding thorough investigation of the business practices of these companies and today the Indian traders lobby stand vindicated after the CCI report which has clearly found Amazon & Flipkart guilty of misconduct. He further added that we shall now escalate the matter to the Indian Government and if need be take the legal route demanding immediate action against these law violators. He added that CAIT will leave no stone unturned in demanding stern action so that no company will ever take the liberty of circumventing Indian laws in future.
Bhartia said that as per reports in the media the Competition Commission of India has pulled up Amazon & Flipkart on several counts of violations of the Indian Competition Laws, mainly deep discounting practices, exclusive seller arrangements, exclusive product launches, preferential seller agreements, predatory pricing which are all anti competitive, violative in nature and damaging to India’s retail ecosystem. As reported by the media, The CCI investigation also highlights that these companies are indulging in malpractices across a massive product line in various segments and not limited to mobile & electronics only.
The trade leader said that India needs a balanced retail ecosystem wherein both the mainline brick and mortar retailers along with e-commerce players can coexist so that everyone gets a share of the burgeoning retail market of India. At present due to such anti competitive practices by deep pocketed foreign companies, 90 million Indian retailers have been facing extreme hardships.
