Centre against predatory pricing by e-retailers, restricting consumer choices: Piyush Goyal
The Hindu
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the government is not concerned about flash sales on online platforms but is against predatory pricing and other cheating methods used by e-retailers to restrict consumer choices.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on April 25 said the government is not concerned about flash sales on online platforms but is against predatory pricing and other cheating methods used by e-retailers to restrict consumer choices.
He also said that often consumers purchasing goods on the e-market place platform to avail benefits of flash sales are diverted to entities preferred or promoted by the online retailer, which is a cheating and against the foreign direct investment rules.
"Why should I complain if somebody wants to give a discount... Consumers are getting a good deal, we have no problem," Mr. Goyal, who also holds consumer ministry portfolio, said here at an event.
He said that there are two objections, one is following the practice of predatory pricing by dumping of goods, and other is methods to restrict consumer choices.
"We are only trying to stop that cheating through the e-commerce policy that we are coming out with," the Minister said.
Citing China, he said dumping of goods at 'very' low prices for a long period of time kill domestic manufacturing and force consumers to buy goods at high prices.
"Today consumers may get excited [about flash sales] but as a policy maker, I have to look at a long-term good for the Indian consumer and that predatory pricing, or such methods in a way to cheat public of choices is what we are against," Mr. Goyal added.
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