If States say yes, e-commerce players can sell all goods

From next week, e-commerce companies are free to deliver all goods, including those not marked essential, provided they get the necessary permits from State government authorities, top officials have said.

Brick-and-mortar retailers, however, argue that allowing e-retailers to sell all products while restricting the others to essential items is an unfair arrangement, and have made a case for allowing all retail shops to home-deliver all items.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has identified e-commerce as a commercial establishment that will be allowed to function in the lockdown period, now extended till May 3,” an official involved in the framing of the guidelines told BusinessLine. “It is implied that they can deal in all items. The Centre does not have to list every product. Of course, necessary permits from State governments will be required — they can also implement stricter norms.”