Govt to look into complaints on Flipkart's discount sale

Government today promised to look into complaints of predatory prices on goods sold by Flipkart after traders alleged that the e-commerce giant resorted to unfair trade practices.
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today acknowledged that government has received many complaints from traders on Flipkart's massive discount sale on Monday that raked in Rs 600 crore on a single day.
"We have received many inputs. Lot of concerns have been expressed. We will look into it," she told reporters here.
Flipkart's 'Big Billion Day' sale on Monday, that offered steep discounts on various products, has raised concerns among small and big traders that such campaigns would badly affect players in the traditional retail market.

When asked whether the government is considering any particular policy for e-commerce retailing, she said the matter would be looked into.
"Now there are many complaints. We will study the matter ... Whether there is a need for a separate policy or some kind of clarification is needed, we will make it clear soon," Sitharaman, who is also the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, said.

In recent times, many e-commerce portals have been coming out with steep discount sales.
Flipkart has said that its 'Big Billion Day' sale saw 1.5 million people shopping at its portal. It also claimed that products worth over Rs 600 crore were sold in just 10 hours under the scheme.

Earlier this week, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) demanded a probe into the business model and trade practices of e-commerce companies to find out how they are offering huge discounts during the ongoing festive season.
The traders' body also alleged that such discount sales amounts to predatory pricing and urged the government to take necessary steps to control the same.