Ban Amazon calls Indian trader group after this announcement
New Delhi : Indian traders group has called for a ban on Amazon after it announced local operations in the nation. The group's demand is based on a news report that claimed that the US based e-commerce website has been giving preferential treatment to a group of businesses.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has demanded stringent actions from the government on Amazon after the facts were revealed in a news story by Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/amazon-india-operation/). “For years, CAIT has been maintaining that Amazon has been circumventing FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] laws of India to conduct unfair and unethical trade,” it said.
Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of CAIT, which claims to represent 80 million retailers and 40,000 trade associations in India, said, “It’s an open and shut case that Amazon is wilfully playing with rules. What more we are waiting for. It should be banned in India with immediate effect.”
There has been a long standing debate on the country, according to which there has been a continuous threat on small businesses due to expanding businesses of e-commerce websites like Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart.
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said the company cannot confirm the veracity or otherwise information and claims made in the Reuters story as it has not seen the documents. “The article appears to be based on unsubstantiated, incomplete, and/or factually incorrect information, likely supplied with the intention of creating sensation and discrediting Amazon,” the spokesperson said.
“Amazon remains compliant with all Indian laws. In the last several years, there have been a number of changes in regulations governing the marketplaces and Amazon has, on each occasion taken rapid action to ensure compliance. The story therefore seems to have outdated information and does not show any non-compliance. We continue to focus on delivering first class service to India’s consumers, and helping India’s manufacturers and SMB’s reach customers across India and around the world,” it added.
