The e-commerce committee headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant today held its first meeting to deliberate on issues related with the sector.
In the meeting, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and IT body NASSCOM gave detailed presentations to the members on fast the growing e-commerce sector, an official said.
Last month, the government had set up the committee to look into all issues, including foreign direct investment norms, pertaining to the e-commerce industry.
Members in the panel include officials from Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Department of Electronics and Information Technology, among others.
Representatives from six states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh are also attending the meeting as some e-commerce firms are facing taxation related issues in few states.
As per the current policy, 100 per cent FDI is allowed via automatic route in the marketplace format of e-commerce.
However, FDI has not been permitted in the inventory-based model of e-commerce.
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When contacted Nasscom, the Indian IT industry body said that in the meeting with Niti Aayog, it has emphasised the importance of the sector.
It also said that regulations should not create barriers in adoption of technology, which is critical for the growth of the sector.
"E-commerce is regulated under a myriad of Acts and regulations that span across Ministries of -- DIPP, MEITy, Consumer Affairs, RBI, MORTH (ride hailing apps), IRDA for Insurance etc. And the list will continue to expand, due to its cross sectoral impact," Nasscom said.
It further added: "The industry will continue to improve and also work with government to address the consumer concerns."
All leading companies now have dedicated teams to look into consumer complaints and offer multiple touch points like email, phone, chat, and no question asked returns.
