India eyes single regulator for e-commerce sector -document (updated)

SB Technology

30/07/2018 07:46

(Adds details from draft)
    MUMBAI, July 30 (Reuters) - India is considering a single
regulator and legislation to address all e-commerce-related
issues in the country, in a bid to remove the legal
fragmentation currently governing the sector, according to a
draft policy document seen by Reuters.
    Some of the measures suggested in the Draft National Policy
Framework include local data storage, mandating the use of
home-grown card payment network RuPay for online transactions
and enhancing the participation of micro, small and medium
enterprises in online retail.
    India will also take steps to develop capacity for storing
data and incentivise its domestic storage, the document said,
adding that the e-commerce industry could be given time to
"adjust before localisation becomes mandatory".
    "The government would have access to data stored in India
for national security and public policy objectives subject to
rules related to privacy, consent etc," the draft policy said.
    India's anti-trust regulator will consider changing
thresholds so that mergers and acquisitions in the e-commerce
sector that potentially distort competition are compulsorily
examined, it said.
    Flipkart, currently in the process of being acquired by U.S.
retail giant Walmart  WMT.N , Amazon.com Inc's  AMZN.O  local
unit and Snapdeal, backed by Japan's SoftBank  9984.T , are
among India's key e-commerce firms.

 (Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Euan Rocha and
Himani Sarkar)
 ((euan.rocha@tr.com; +91 22 6180 7257; Reuters Messaging:
euan.rocha.reuters.com@reuters.net))