E-commerce policy draft pushes for data protection; Chinese firms on radar

Protection of consumer data stands out as the dominant theme of the much-awaited e-commerce draft report released on Saturday. Prepared by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) along with a clutch of other ministries, the draft has granted the industry a three-year window for making a shift to the local data storage requirements.

Aiming to step up onshore digital commerce, the report also hints at regulating Chinese e-commerce apps. Ruling out the need for a new regulator, the draft, which will be finalised after consultations with stakeholders, has recognised the standing group of secretaries on e-commerce as the primary body for regulating the high growth sector. Online retail commerce, which was pegged at $38.5 billion end of 2017, is projected to grow to $200 billion by 2026 in the country. This excludes travel and tourism and business-to-business transactions.