Ensure level-playing field for others while framing national policy on e-commerce: CII

Industry body CII today welcomed the government's move to kick-start consultation process for framing a national policy on e-commerce and said any rules in this regard should be made in view of greater digital economy and larger national interest.

The ministry's new effort to have the e-commerce policy consultation -- which follows an institutionalised structure of the think tank that will have various sub-groups so as to fast-track policy consultations and therefore policy making -- is a welcome move, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said.

The chamber observed that as far as data protection and localisation is concerned, the industry is cognisant that these are larger issues that influence the greater digital economy and any policy on it should not be specific to e-commerce but in the larger national interest.

"The e-commerce sector is an emerging sector with immense growth potential. A robust national e-commerce policy is required to provide the correct impetus to the sector," CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said.

However, the chamber said the safeguard mechanism -- that came in the press note in 2016 which prohibits marketplaces from controlling inventory, influencing price and working through related entities -- are important measures to promote local enterprises and provide a level-playing field.

Banerjee said he endorses the government's position that national policy is not just necessary to facilitate trade, but also to meet India's national economic goals.

The idea that domestic policy must precede international commitments is well taken, he said.

The government last month began the exercise to frame a national policy on e-commerce, with a think-tank constituted on the issue under the chairmanship of Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu which held its first meeting here.