Flipkart Faces Allegations of Non-Competitive Practices

Madras High Court lawyer, K Narasimhan, has accused Flipkart of offering selective product-level discounts that create a non-competitive environment. The complaint, filed with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), claims that these waivers unfairly influence pricing and harm the broader seller ecosystem.

In a recent turn of events, Flipkart is under fire for allegedly creating a non-competitive environment through selective product-level discounts. The allegations were made by Madras High Court lawyer K Narasimhan, who has lodged a complaint with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Narasimhan argued that the e-commerce giant has been offering selective waivers at the product level, affecting the pricing of certain sellers and distorting competition. He supported his complaint with a screenshot of the alleged communication from Flipkart and its platform Shopsy. 'This practice explicitly states that a portion of the product discount will be subsidised through waivers, thus influencing the pricing directly,' Narasimhan claimed.

This is not the first time Narasimhan has targeted e-commerce firms; earlier in April, he had filed a complaint against Flipkart and BigBasket for allegedly making delivery personnel work on the general election voting day in Tamil Nadu. The lawyer insists that such practices undermine fair trade principles, disadvantaging smaller sellers and stifling the broader seller ecosystem.

(With inputs from agencies.)