‘Arrogant’ US ecommerce giants flout our laws: Piyush Goyal

New Delhi: Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has accused US e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart of violating local laws by accusing them of arrogance and indulging in violent pricing practices. Goyal said companies were using their scale and access to large pools of low-cost capital in predatory pricing practices “to the detriment of mom-and-pop stores”. “Many of these big e-commerce companies have come to India and have openly flouted the laws of the country in more ways than one,” he said at a virtual event late Saturday.

“I’ve had a lot of engagements with these big companies, especially US companies, and I can see a little bit of arrogance,” he said.

Goyal did not directly name Amazon.com or Walmart Inc’s Flipkart – the two major ecommerce players in India – or specify which laws were violated. But his remarks come at a time of growing uproar from small Indian traders and retailers, who accuse the US giant of bypassing Indian consumer protection laws and competition laws.

Amazon and Flipkart did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Goyal’s sharp criticism.

Both the companies have denied the allegations leveled against them by the traders.

Goyal also criticized the companies for indulging in “forum shopping” in the courts and failing to comply with the investigation initiated by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

Flipkart and Amazon have appealed against the CCI’s bid to resume an investigation into their business practices, after a judge this month dismissed the companies’ original arguments.

“To my mind, if they have nothing to hide, if they are doing business honestly, why don’t they respond to the CCI?” Goyal said at a virtual event organized by the Stanford India Policy and Economics Club.

His remarks came days after India unveiled a new set of ecommerce rules that could undermine the ambitions of both Amazon and Flipkart in India, and force both to review certain business structures.

Separately, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, the Confederation of All India Traders accused e-commerce companies of treating India like a “banana republic” with weak laws.

The body urged the government to ensure that the proposed e-commerce rules are not diluted despite efforts by lobbying e-commerce giants. Read also: Mobile World Congress 2021 starts tomorrow: what we know so far

The US-India Business Council, a top US lobby group, in an internal memo this week referred to India’s proposed new ecommerce rules. Read also: Income Tax Return Deadline Extension: Important Things You Need to Know Before Filing ITR

Read Full Article
'; $('div.listing').append(string); } }); }, error:function(xhr){ //console.log("Error"); //console.log("An error occured: " + xhr.status + " " + xhr.statusText); nextload=false; }, complete: function(){ $('div.listing').find(".loading-block").remove();; pg +=1; //console.log("mod" + ice%2); nextpath="&page=" + pg; //console.log("request complete" + nextpath); cat = "?cat=120581"; //console.log(nextpath); nextload=(ice%2==0)?true:false; } }); } //lastoff = last.offset(); //console.log("**" + lastoff + "**"); });*/ var maindiv = false; var dis = 0; var fbcontainer=""; var fbid = ''; var fb_script=document.createElement('script'); fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));"; var fmain = $(".sr2372297"); //alert(x+ "-" + url); var fdiv = '
'; //console.log(fdiv); //$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain); $(fdiv).appendTo(fmain); function fillElementWithAd($el, slotCode, size, targeting){ if (typeof targeting === 'undefined') { targeting = {}; } else if ( Object.prototype.toString.call( targeting ) !== '[object Object]' ) { targeting = {}; } var elId = $el.attr('id'); //console.log("elId:" + elId); googletag.cmd.push(function(){ var slot = googletag.defineSlot(slotCode, size, elId); for (var t in targeting){ slot.setTargeting(t, targeting } slot.addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.display(elId); //googletag.pubads().refresh([slot]); }); } $(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){ fbcontainer=""; fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id'); var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr"); $(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle(); fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id"); }); function onPlayerStateChange(event){ var ing, fid; //console.log(event + "---player"); $('iframe[id*="video-"]').each(function(){ _v = $(this).attr('id'); //console.log("_v: " + _v); if(_v != event){ //console.log("condition match"); ing = new YT.get(_v); if(ing.getPlayerState()=='1'){ ing.pauseVideo(); } } }); $('div[id*="video-"]').each(function(){ _v = $(this).attr('id'); //console.log("_v: " + _v + " event: " + event); if(_v != event){ //jwplayer(_v).play(false); } }); } function onYouTubePlay(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){ if (typeof(YT) == 'undefined' || typeof(YT.Player) == 'undefined') { var tag = document.createElement('script'); tag.src = "https://www.youtube.com/iframe_api"; var firstScriptTag = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; firstScriptTag.parentNode.insertBefore(tag, firstScriptTag); window.onYouTubePlayerAPIReady = function() { onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid); }; }else{onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid);} } function onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){ //console.log(playDiv + "Get Youtue " + vid); //$("#"+vid).find(".playvideo-"+ vx).hide(); var player = new YT.Player(playDiv , { height: '450', width: '100%', videoId:code, playerVars: { 'autoplay': 1, 'showinfo': 1, 'controls': 1 }, events: { 'onStateChange': function(event){ onPlayerStateChange(event.target.a.id); } } }); $("#video-"+vid).show(); } function kalturaPlayerAPIReady(code, playDiv,pvid){ var dt=new Date; var nt=dt.getTime(); var vtitle = ""; pre_roll = "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x480&iu=/11440465/Zeenews_English_Video/Zeenews_English_Preroll&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&description_url="+vtitle+"&correlator="+nt; var sources ={}; var config = { targetId: playDiv, provider: { partnerId: 2504201 }, playback: { pictureInPicture : true, autoplay: true }, advertising: { adBreaks: [{ position: 0, ads: [{ url: [pre_roll] }] }] }, plugins: { ima: { adsResponse: "" } } } var kalturaPlayer = KalturaPlayer.setup(config); if(kalturaPlayer){ kalturaPlayer.reset(); } var videoUrl = code; var mediaid = '"zn' + pvid + '"'; sources = { hls: [{ id: mediaid, url: videoUrl, mimetype: "application/x-mpegURL" }] } kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, sources); if (typeof kalturaPlayer !== 'undefined') { doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer); } } function kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, playbackType){ kalturaPlayer.setMedia({ plugins: {}, sources: playbackType }); } function doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer) { /* player event*/ kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAY, playEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PAUSE, pauseEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAYBACK_ENDED, playbackEndedEvent); /* ad event */ kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_STARTED, adStartedEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_COMPLETED, adCompletedEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_SKIPPED, adSkippedEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_CLICKED,adClicked); } var vlabel = "https://zeenews.india.com"+$(this).attr("video-path"); var isVideoPlayed = false; var isAdSkippedCompleted = false; function adStartedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adstarted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isVideoPlayed = true; isAdSkippedCompleted = true; } function adCompletedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adcompleted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isAdSkippedCompleted = true; } function adSkippedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adskipped', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isAdSkippedCompleted = true; } function adClicked(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adclicked', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); } function playbackEndedEvent(event){ var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Complete', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); } function playEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; if((isVideoPlayed) && (isAdSkippedCompleted)){ isAdSkippedCompleted = false; }else if((isVideoPlayed)){ gtag('event', 'resume', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); }else{ gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isVideoPlayed = true; } } function pauseEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Pause', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); } function AdloadEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag("event", "kaltura_adloaded", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel}); } function AdProgressEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag("event", "kaltura_adprogress", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel}); } function adPausedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag("event", "kaltura_adpaused", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel}); } /* End of Kaltura player function code */ $(document).delegate("div[id^='play']", "click", function(){ //console.log($(this).attr("id")); //console.log($(this).attr("video-source")); //console.log($(this).attr("video-code")); var isyoutube = $(this).attr("video-source"); var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path"); var vid = $(this).attr("id"); $(this).hide(); var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid"); var vx = $(this).attr("id").replace('play-',''); var vC = $(this).attr("video-code"); var playDiv = "video-" + vid + "-" + pvid; if(isyoutube =='No'){ kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid); }else{ onYouTubePlay(vid, vC, playDiv,vx, pvid); } }); $(document).delegate("div[id^='ptop']", "click", function(){ var vid = $(this).attr("id").replace('ptop',''); $(this).hide(); var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid"); var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path"); //console.log($(this).attr("id") + "--" + vid); //console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source")); //console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code")); var isyoutube = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source"); var vC = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code"); var playDiv = "mvideo-play-" + vid + "-" + pvid; if(isyoutube =='No'){ //console.log(jwplayer($(this).attr("id")).getState()); kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid); }else{ onYouTubePlay($(this).attr("id"), vC, playDiv, vid, pvid); } }); var nxti = 3; var ci = 1; var nxti_1 = 6; var nxti_2 = 9; var nxti_3 = 12; if($.autopager==false){ var use_ajax = false; /*var disqus_shortname="zeehindi"; var disqus_identifier; //made of post id and guid var disqus_url; //post permalink function loadDisqus(source, identifier, url, nid) { if (window.DISQUS) { //alert("if"); jQuery('
').insertAfter(source); jQuery('#disqus_thread').insertAfter(source); //append the HTML after the link //if Disqus exists, call it's reset method with new parameters DISQUS.reset({ reload: true, config: function () { this.page.identifier = identifier; this.page.url = url; } }); }else{ jQuery('
').insertAfter(source); disqus_identifier = identifier; //set the identifier argument disqus_url = url; //set the permalink argument //append the Disqus embed script to HTML var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type="text/javascript"; dsq.async = true; dsq.src="http://" + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; jQuery('head').append(dsq); } };*/ /*$('.disqusOn').live( "click", notify ); function notify() { identifier = $(this).attr('id'); dUrl = $(this).attr('disqus-url'); source = $(this).parent(); loadDisqus(jQuery(this), identifier, dUrl); }*/ function loadshare(curl){ history.replaceState('' ,'', curl); if(window.OBR){ window.OBR.extern.researchWidget(); } //console.log("loadshare Call->" + curl); //$('html head').find('title').text("main" + nxtTitle); if(_up == false){ var cu_url = curl; gtag('config', 'UA-2069755-1', {'page_path': cu_url }); if(window.COMSCORE){ window.COMSCORE.beacon({c1: "2", c2: "9254297"}); var e = Date.now(); $.ajax({ url: "/marathi/news/zscorecard.json?" + e, success: function(e) {} }) } //console.log('ga:'+r); /*(function () { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type="text/javascript"; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + 'stats.g.doubleclick.net/dc.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();*/ //console.log("loadshare Call"); } } if(use_ajax==false) { //console.log('getting'); var view_selector="div.center-section"; // + settings.view_name; + '.view-display-id-' + settings.display; var content_selector = view_selector; // + settings.content_selector; var items_selector = content_selector + ' > div.rep-block'; // + settings.items_selector; var pager_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix"; // + settings.pager_selector; var next_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix > a:last"; // + settings.next_selector; var auto_selector="div.tag-block"; var img_location = view_selector + ' > div.rep-block:last'; var img_path="
Loading
"; //settings.img_path; //var img = '
' + img_path + '
'; var img = img_path; //$(pager_selector).hide(); //alert($(next_selector).attr('href')); var x = 0; var url=""; var prevLoc = window.location.pathname; var circle = ""; var myTimer = ""; var interval = 30; var angle = 0; var Inverval = ""; var angle_increment = 6; var handle = $.autopager({ appendTo: content_selector, content: items_selector, runscroll: maindiv, link: next_selector, autoLoad: false, page: 0, start: function(){ $(img_location).after(img); circle = $('.center-section').find('#green-halo'); myTimer = $('.center-section').find('#myTimer'); angle = 0; Inverval = setInterval(function (){ $(circle).attr("stroke-dasharray", angle + ", 20000"); //myTimer.innerHTML = parseInt(angle/360*100) + '%'; if (angle >= 360) { angle = 1; } angle += angle_increment; }.bind(this),interval); }, load: function(){ $('div.loading-block').remove(); clearInterval(Inverval); //$('.repeat-block > .row > div.main-rhs2372297').find('div.rhs2372297:first').clone().appendTo('.repeat-block >.row > div.main-rhs' + x); $('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs2372297 > div:first').clone().appendTo('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs' + x); $('.center-section >.row:last').before('

Next Story

'); //$(".main-rhs" + x).theiaStickySidebar(); var fb_script=document.createElement('script'); fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));"; var fmain = $(".sr"+ x); //alert(x+ "-" + url); var fdiv = '
'; //$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain); $(fdiv).appendTo(fmain); FB.XFBML.parse(); var $dfpAd = $('.center-section').children().find("#ad-"+ x); xp = "#star"+x; //var $dfpAdrhs = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adATF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-" + x); //$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-' + x); //var $dfpAdrhs2 = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adBTF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x);//$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-2-' + x); //var $dfpMiddleAd = $('.content-area > .main-article > .row').find('#ar'+x).find('#ad-middle-' + x).empty(); //fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_ATF_300x250', [[300, 250], [300, 600]], {}); //fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs2, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_BTF_1_300x250', [300, 250], {}); //fillElementWithAd($dfpMiddleAd, '/11440465/Zeenews_Hindi_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF', [300, 250], {}); var instagram_script=document.createElement('script'); instagram_script.defer="defer"; instagram_script.async="async"; instagram_script.src="https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"; /*var outbrain_script=document.createElement('script'); outbrain_script.type="text/javascript"; outbrain_script.async="async"; outbrain_script.src="https://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js"; var Omain = $("#outbrain-"+ x); //alert(Omain + "--" + $(Omain).length); $(Omain).after(outbrain_script); var rhs = $('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2372297:first').clone(); $(rhs).find('.ad-one').attr("id", "ad-300-" + x).empty(); $(rhs).find('.ad-two').attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x).empty(); //$('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2372297:first').clone().appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x); $(rhs).appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x); */ setTimeout(function(){ var twit = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="twitter"]').length; var insta = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="instagram"]').length; if(twit==0){twit = ($("div.field-name-body").find('twitterwidget[class^="twitter"]').length);} if(twit>0){ if (typeof (twttr) != 'undefined') { twttr.widgets.load(); } else { $.getScript('https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js'); } //$(twit).addClass('tfmargin'); } if(insta>0){ $('.content > .left-block:last').after(instagram_script); //$(insta).addClass('tfmargin'); window.instgrm.Embeds.process(); } }, 1500); } }); /*$("#loadmore").click(function(){ x=$(next_selector).attr('id'); var url = $(next_selector).attr('href'); disqus_identifier="ZNH" + x; disqus_url = url; handle.autopager('load'); history.pushState('' ,'', url); setTimeout(function(){ //twttr.widgets.load(); //loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url); }, 6000); });*/ /*$("button[id^='mf']").live("click", disqusToggle); function disqusToggle() { console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id')); }*/ $(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){ fbcontainer=""; fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id'); var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr"); //console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id') + "Goodbye!jQuery 1.4.3+" + sr); $(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle(); fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id"); //console.log(fbcontainer); //var commentsContainer = document.getElementById(fbcontainer); //commentsContainer.innerHTML = ''; }); /************Player Code ***********/ var title, imageUrl, description, author, shortName, identifier, timestamp, summary, newsID, nextnews; var previousScroll = 0; //console.log("prevLoc" + prevLoc); $(window).scroll(function(){ var last = $(auto_selector).filter(':last'); var lastHeight = last.offset().top ; //st = $(layout).scrollTop(); //console.log("st:" + st); var currentScroll = $(this).scrollTop(); if (currentScroll > previousScroll){ _up = false; } else { _up = true; } previousScroll = currentScroll; //console.log("_up" + _up); var cutoff = $(window).scrollTop() + 64; //console.log(cutoff + "**"); $('div[id^="row"]').each(function(){ //console.log("article" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr("id") + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')); if($(this).offset().top + $(this).height() > cutoff){ //console.log("$$" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')); if(prevLoc != $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')){ prevLoc = $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url'); $('html head').find('title').text($(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title')); $('meta[name=description]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary')); $('meta[name=keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword')); $('meta[name=news_keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword')); pSUPERFLY.virtualPage(prevLoc,$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title')); //console.log("Summary: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary')); //console.log("Keyword: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword')); //history.pushState('' ,'', prevLoc); loadshare(prevLoc); } return false; // stops the iteration after the first one on screen } }); if(lastHeight + last.height() < $(document).scrollTop() + $(window).height()){ //console.log("**get"); url = $(next_selector).attr('href'); x=$(next_selector).attr('id'); //console.log("x:" + x); //handle.autopager('load'); /*setTimeout(function(){ //twttr.widgets.load(); //loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url); }, 6000);*/ } //lastoff = last.offset(); //console.log("**" + lastoff + "**"); }); //$( ".content-area" ).click(function(event) { // console.log(event.target.nodeName); //}); /*$( ".comment-button" ).live("click", disqusToggle); function disqusToggle() { var id = $(this).attr("id"); $("#disqus_thread1" + id).toggle(); };*/ //$(".main-rhs2372297").theiaStickySidebar(); var prev_content_height = $(content_selector).height(); //$(function() { var layout = $(content_selector); var st = 0; ///}); } } }); /*} };*/ })(jQuery); .

Leave a Reply