Traders protest against foreign e-commerce players, lament ‘Black Diwali’

The Indian Sellers Collective, an umbrella body of trade associations, on Monday carried out protests and burned effigies of Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos, demanding a boycott of foreign e-commerce companies operating in the country.

The trader body’s ‘Bharat Chhodo Morcha’ includes a national conclave and on-ground protests in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana to urge both the government and consumers to shun foreign e-commerce brands and embrace local sellers’ products to bring relief to small traders during the festive season.

“MNC e-commerce players track best-selling products on their platforms. These online marketplaces copy their design to launch private brands with similar features and at a competitive price,” the trader group said in a statement.