CAIT to launch campaign against 'malpractices' of e-commerce companies

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) is planning to hold a nationwide campaign beginning September 15 against “the malpractices of foreign-funded e-commerce companies” such as Amazon, Flipkart, others in India.

“Greatly peeved by the ongoing malpractices of foreign-funded e-commerce companies in India, the traders across the country have joined hands together to fight out major global e-commerce through an aggressive nationwide agitational campaign,” CAIT said in a statement.

The Supreme Court of India had last month rejected the demands of Amazon and Flipkart to quash the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) probe against their alleged anti-competitive practices.

“Despite having so many established policies, laws and rules and a sound administrative system in place, it is highly regretted to note that no concrete action has been taken against big e-commerce companies who are still violating the concerned rules and laws,” CAIT National President B C Bhartia & Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said in the joint statement.

The duo have asked for quick implementation of the draft of e-commerce rules “without wasting any more time.”

CAIT on Monday had also written to the commerce minister Piyush Goyal to implement the draft rules immediately and had also “lambasted Niti Aayog and few others who are criticising the draft of e-commerce rules under the Consumer Protection Act.”

The CCI had ordered a probe in January 2020 based on the information from the Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh. The order was then challenged by Amazon and Flipkart before the Karnataka High Court but was rejected in June. According to a PTI report, Amazon and Flipkart had said that they would comply with the law and that they will extend full cooperation to the CCI probe.