Archives for 2019

Several government agencies and public utilities are disincentivising e-payments by refusing to bear transaction costs charged by banks even as the Modi administration promotes digital India. Banks are passing on the cost of online payment to customers in several e-portals. In some cases, not only are charges being illegally passed on, the amount is also […]

Raka Chakrawarti, an entrepreneur from Mumbai, is tensed these days, not about her business, which is booming, but over the rules of the Draft National e-Commerce Policy. If the policy, drafted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and seeking stakeholder comments, gets a go-ahead as it is, Gourmetdelight, her bootstrapped […]

India has told the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it will not join the negotiations to develop trade rules on e-commerce, arguing that it is an idea whose time has not yet come. New Delhi has also argued that the discussions by some countries are not consistent with the mandate of the multilateral trading system. […]

Web-focused smartphone and electronic brands said business on online marketplaces has returned to normal levels after New Delhi’s changes to overseas ownership rules disrupted sales early February at the two biggest industry platforms, Walmart-owned Flipkart and Amazon. The rebound is pronounced enough for brands such as OnePlus, Realme, Vu, TCL, iFFalcon, BPL, Kodak and Thomson […]

The Walmart-owned e-commerce giant Flipkart has increased the commissions it charges from vendors in the apparel category, a month after the latest FDI norms for online marketplaces kicked in. Effective March 1, Flipkart has increased commissions it charges on western wear, kurtis, innerwear, smartwatches, blazers and waistcoats. The increase in commissions ranged between 6.5-15% across […]

US technology companies and Indian startups are working overtime to put together a response within a week to the government’s proposed ecommerce policy, which is being touted as a digital economy policy that will have far-reaching impact on the country’s technology ambitions. The policy deals with contentious subjects such as data dominance, data sovereignty and […]

Amar Nagaram, head of fashion portals Myntra and Jabong, will now report to Rishi Vasudev who was recently elevated to as the group head of fashion for Flipkart group, multiple people in the know said. Earlier, Nagaram, who took over as the head of Myntra and Jabong after former CEO Ananth Narayanan quit, was reporting […]

PSBLoansin59minutes.com, an online loan approval platform connecting public sector banks with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), has become the largest “online lending platform” in the country within three months of its launch, according to a Credit Suisse report. That surge comes as state-run banks continue to struggle with low profits and bad loans. The platform […]

The logo of Amazon is seen on the door of an Amazon Books retail store in New York City, U.S., February 14, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Amazon plans to open dozens of grocery stores across the United States as it looks to expand in the food business, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people […]

Political parties are extensively tapping social media influencers — those with a sizeable fan base on platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram — ahead of the elections to push their messages through subtle campaigns, advertisers and marketers said. These will be the first elections in India where social media influencers, who come from different walks […]