DPIIT 'definitely' working on new e-commerce policy: Govt official

The new policy will have various features such as those related to data and consumer rights, a senior government official said on Friday

The commerce and industry ministry is "definitely" working on a new e-commerce policy which will have various features such as those related to data and consumer rights, a senior government official said on Friday.

The other issues which need to be looked upon while formulating the policy are about the problem of counterfeit products, packaging and rules of origin, the official of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said.

DPIIT is arm of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

"Who should be accountable for counterfeit products sold through an e-commerce company. Data is an important issue. The entire data issue will be governed by what actually the data law will be, which is before Parliament. That is why we are not in a hurry to finalise it (the policy)... So, whatever will be the final outcome of that data bill, it will apply to everybody who will deal with data," the official said a regulator for the sector may come if required.

The official said that e-commerce sector is not only about foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector, as a large number of e-commerce firms are outside FDI.

"We are definitely working on the policy," the official said.

The government in 2019 had released a draft national e-commerce policy which had proposed setting up a legal and technological framework for restrictions on cross-border data flow and also laid out conditions for businesses regarding collection or processing of sensitive data locally and storing it abroad.

Several foreign e-commerce firms have time and again raised concerns over some points in the draft pertaining to data.