Amazi(Andy Mukherjee is a columnist and a journalist with Bloomberg. The article first appeared in Bloomberg on August 19, 2021)
- The investing world is enthralled by a determined Beijing as it cuts China’s private sector down to size by relentless regulatory action. That’s good news for New Delhi: Its more subtle maneuvers in the same direction are going largely unnoticed. Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart Inc.’s Flipkart, however, would surely have felt the rising temperatures. Even as they weigh draft e-commerce rules that seek to restrict online marketplaces — not just theirs, but also the planned super-app by India’s Tata Group — a new existential threat lurks around the corner: a state-sponsored open network for digital commerce. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has set up a committee, chaired by him, to “democratize digital commerce” and “provide alternatives to proprietary e-commerce sites,” according to a ministry press release.
Also Read: Sustainability is the USP brands must adopt now: Mint
