No extension to Feb. 1 deadline for e-commerce norms

/ 1 min read

The new e-commerce norms ban companies from striking deals with sellers to sell products exclusively on their platforms.

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Credits: Pexels

The government has decided not to extend the February 1 deadline for implementation of revised FDI (foreign direct investment) norms for the country’s fast upcoming e-commerce sector. In an official notification on Thursday, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion said the decision was taken after “due consideration”.

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According to media reports, two of India’s largest e-commerce firms, Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart, have lobbied intensely to get an extension.

The new e-commerce norms ban companies from striking deals with sellers to sell products exclusively on their platforms. Also, e-commerce firms are now barred from selling products through firms in which they hold an equity stake.

The new norms are a blow to both Walmart, which entered the country last year by investing $16 billion for a 77% stake in Flipkart, and Amazon, which has invested over $5.5 billion in the country over the last five years, as they will now have to change their business structures and reconsider strategies for entities in which they have a stake.