In That Direction!

The idea behind the draft e-commerce policy is to protect indigenous small retailers from the onslaught of deeppocket e-tailers

- Ashish Sinha

THERE IS NO DOUBT that in the coming decade, the volume of business transacted via e-commerce portals will cross the $200-billion mark thanks to growing income, cheaper data rates and falling prices of smartphones and other gadgets. But the traditional brick and motor shops may not enjoy the same benefits as their counterparts in the e-commerce space, many of which with deep-pockets and the ability to offer attractive discounts, are luring more consumers to the online market place. Therefore, the draft e-commerce policy framework, curated from hours of consultations between the commerce ministry and the stakeholders including the e-commerce players, consumer bodies, lawmakers, among others, outlines the government’s intent to support homegrown small and medium scale businesses while imposing curbs and spelling out dos and don’ts subject to wider consultations and feedback from one and all.