Be it pressure from traders' bodies or RSS-affiliated outfits to curb activities of e-commerce players, the government is not taking any hurried decision on it.
Be it pressure from traders' bodies or RSS-affiliated outfits to curb activities of e-commerce players, the government is not taking any hurried decision on it.
The commerce ministry is adopting a wait-and-watch approach before it takes any concrete step, sources said. Besides the concern that e-retailing was hurting the brick and mortar retailers because of its predatory pricing, there were views that it was benefiting the buyer and small scale manufacturers.
Sources said given the various arguments in favour of and against e-retailing, the government was examining all its aspects before taking any step. This, according to the sources, was the government's attitude on several policy matters.
Last year saw a major leap in consumers taking the e-tailing route for purchases from books to cars. But, this had also brought the e-commerce under the radar of various sections, including traders bodies and the RSS's economic wing, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM).
A delegation of SJM had approached minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha with its complaints against e-tailers like EBay, Amazon, Snapdeal and even Flipkart. "FDI is not allowed in e-commerce. So the operation of these players is a circumvention of the law of the land. There is high FDI component in Flipkart as well," SJM convenor Ashwani Mahajan told dna. He said the Maharashtra government was looking into the matter.
The SJM expressed concern that these e-tailers were working against the interests of small traders and indulging in tax evasion. "The government says they are only providing a platform for companies here, but they are doing business here. With their deep pockets, the domestic shop keepers are denied a level playing field," Mahajan said.
Arvind Singhal, chairman and managing director, Technopak, had told dna recently that by 2020, the e-tail market will be around $32 billion-- 3% of the overall retail market of $1,100 billion.
The SJM, besides the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS)-- the trade union and farmers' bodies affiliated to the RSS-- had also opposed certain "anti-farmer" clauses in the land acquisition Bill.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}