CAIT urges government to launch an e-commerce portal for women entrepreneurs

Traders' body CAIT Thursday urged the government to launch an e-commerce marketplace portal in partnership with trade associations where small traders, artisans and women entrepreneurs can sell their products in a 'fair and transparent manner'.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said it has also sent a letter to Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu Thursday alleging "that the e-commerce business in India is highly vitiated and has been gripped by a few big online companies who are indulging into predatory pricing, deep discounting and loss funding" against the FDI guidelines of the government.

The commerce and industry ministry notifies FDI policies through press notes. Press Note 3, which was released in 2016, enlists guidelines for foreign direct investment in the e-commerce sector.

"The government in association with trade associations should launch an e-commerce marketplace portal where small traders, artisans, women entrepreneur and others can sell their products in a fair & transparent manner," CAIT said to Prabhu.

In the letter to Prabhu, the traders' body also demanded early announcement of an e-commerce policy and formation of a Regulatory Authority to monitor the e-commerce business in India.