CAIT reaches out to top corporate honchos and trade bodies for a joint forum against foreign e-commerce players

New Delhi, Sept 29 (KNN) Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) today reached out to businesses from different verticals of retail trade & Industry for establishing a joint forum against e-commerce.

Few of the prominent names to whom CAIT has written to include Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Swami Ramdev, Harsh Goenka, Kumar Manglani Birla, Gautam Adani and others.

The prominent organisations include Swadeshi Jagran Manch, All India Grahak Panchayat, All India Transport Welfare Association, Laghu Udyog Bharti, FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, PHD Chamber etc.

In a communication sent to noted Industrialists and Organisations, the CAIT has called for a formation of bigger joint forum to fight unfair and unhealthy business practices, violation of law, Act and Rules and creating a monopolistic e-commerce market by foreign funded e commerce companies.

B C Bhartia, National President and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal at CAIT in their communication charged these companies for adopting, deep discounting, loss funding, exclusivity, preferential sellers and owing inventory which is strictly prohibited by Press Note No 2 of FDI Policy, 2018.

They told that if e-commerce & retail trade is captivated by these global companies, it will also greatly affect the Indian Manufacturers and producers.

These business practice is hampering small businesses due to uneven level playing field and thus escaping competition, and creating a monopolistic e-commerce market which is never in the larger interest of the economy & the Country. It is certainly not the case of foreign investment but purely a cash burning model which is an unhealthy and unfair business practices.

Bhartia & Khandelwal said that with great persuasion with the Govt and laying emphasis on necessity of E- Commerce Rules in the Country, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has proposed several e-commerce rules under The Consumer Protection Act which are yet to be notified.

These rules are slated to be applicable on all types of business entities either foreign or Indian origin which are either selling goods or providing services through any digital mode. We are of the considered view that the proposed rules are in furtherance of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The trade leaders while seeking cooperation of Industry leaders & Associations impressed upon the need to cement a bigger forum of all forces of retail trade of India and as such sought their involvement and support against fight for justice and also prevailing upon the Government to enforce proposed e- commerce rules, implementation of an e-commerce policy and issuance of a new Press Note in place of Press Note No 2 of the FDI policy after removing any disparity, loopholes or escape routes.