India Reviews E-Commerce Policy Draft After Criticism
- Commerce minister says received ‘few concerns’ on proposals
- New draft expected in weeks, will be put on ministry website
The changes would tighten restrictions on global giants like Amazon.com Inc. and Google and may bolster local startups such as digital payments provider Paytm.
Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/BloombergIndia is reworking proposed e-commerce rules after a draft, which had signaled a shift toward boosting domestic startups, sparked criticism, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private.
Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted Aug. 11 that his ministry had received a “few concerns,” and will reach out to stakeholders to address them. The initial document received pushback, including a proposal on foreign investment in some areas and one requiring Indian consumer data to be held locally, one of the people familiar said. The discussions may lead to an overhaul and a fresh draft will be posted in a few weeks on the ministry’s website, the person said.