The right policy cart

E-commerce rules should be stable and equitable

Formulation of a national e-commerce policy is a welcome move as it will serve as a reference point for the online retail industry. But the draft policy needs further consultation before it is finalised as a rulebook for e-commerce — a tiny fraction of the $700-billion retail market. In the current form, it neither shows any sign of a stable regulatory regime nor policy predictability — both necessary for companies to do business in a competitive environment. The draft policy talks about several things in an attempt to bring a level-playing field in the e-commerce or e-tailing industry. For instance,