Consumer affairs ministry likely to finalise e-commerce rules in November

The consumer affairs ministry is likely to finalise the draft e-commerce rules next month, official sources said even as secretary Leena Nandan refused to divulge any details. It is not clear whether the ministry will remove some controversial rules like ban on flash sales. There have been objections by many e-commerce companies to some provisions of the draft rules that could derail the growth in this sector.

The feedback received are under consideration and meetings have been continuing to finalise those rules, Nandan told reporters. The department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) and the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) had also expressed their reservations and flagged some anomalies. DPIIT has suggested the duties of sellers be aligned with the framework in draft National E-Commerce Policy such that sellers don’t distort the market. It is not clear, though, how distortion will be defined.