Confederation of All India Merchants, a nationwide physique representing Indian merchants and retailers, is launching an enormous country-wide protest towards multinational e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart. The physique that has been vocal towards overseas retail majors for years, right this moment within the nationwide capital introduced a drive to “prosecute” the 2 behemoths.
“In gentle of the not too long ago launched report by the Competitors Fee of India (CCI), which highlights critical anti-competitive practices by e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart, the merchants throughout the nation, underneath the management of CAIT, are set to launch an enormous nationwide marketing campaign demanding prosecution of those firms,” it mentioned in an announcement. Greater than 350 commerce leaders in a unanimous decision pointed in direction of alleged irregularities within the operations of Amazon & Flipkart.
“The CCI report has delivered to gentle varied unethical practices which have severely impacted small and medium merchants. These practices embrace deep discounting, preferential therapy to pick sellers, and the violation of competitors norms. The findings additional affirm that these e-commerce platforms have been working in ways in which distort the extent taking part in subject, inflicting irreparable injury to lakhs of merchants and retailers. Due to this fact, we urge upon the CCI to take essential motion and prosecute each Amazon & Flipkart with none additional delay, to satisfy the top of justice and guarantee truthful competitors,” they mentioned.
The nationwide marketing campaign is geared toward pressurizing CCI, the apex anti-competitive physique in India, “to provoke strict authorized proceedings towards Amazon and Flipkart for violating Indian legal guidelines and damaging the pursuits of small companies. The merchants will collectively demand speedy and agency motion, together with prosecution underneath the related sections of the legislation,” they mentioned right this moment.
Current within the gathering, former union minister & CAIT advisor Smriti Irani emphasised the numerous position of small merchants within the Indian economic system. In keeping with her, small merchants presently make up 90% of the retail market in India and contribute 45% to the nation’s exports.
In 2023, their enterprise turnover was valued at US$480 billion, which is projected to develop to US$1.3 trillion by 2025. “Therefore we have to deal with increasing exports and enhancing the benefit of doing enterprise for merchants. As 71% of on-line orders are fulfilled by small merchants, notably from rural areas, we now have to make efforts to evaluate whether or not these merchants are benefiting from the shift to e-commerce and have to know the significance of recognizing their potential and offering them the mandatory assist,” mentioned Irani.
