E-comm firms to add ‘country of origin’ filter

The Union government on Monday said it was making it mandatory for e-commerce entities to provide filters to help consumers identify and search products by “country of origin”, a move aimed at making India-made products easy to find alongside imported goods.

- Zia Haq

The initiative is meant to support the government's campaign to promote Indian manufacturing and push “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India), a key policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bolster domestic production and cut foreign dependence.

The Union consumer affairs ministry has proposed a draft amendment to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, to ensure a “level-playing field for Indian manufacturers, helping domestic products gain equal visibility alongside imported goods and encouraging consumers to choose locally made alternatives”, the ministry said in a statement.