The government has asked ecommerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart to display the country of origin on new products listed by sellers
on their sites by August 1 and legacy items by October 1 without stipulating a
deadline. The companies sought more time to implement the changes, which are
part of the government’s plan to curb imports, at an online meeting with
officials on Wednesday. The platforms said the measures should be introduced in
a phased manner with the involvement of manufacturers and sellers in the
process, said people with knowledge of the matter.
The government will take a call on the final deadline soon,
an official said.
Issues Flagged
Under the current law, there is no requirement to display
country of origin on non-packaged goods. The Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will discuss introduction of the relevant
legal provisions with the consumer affairs ministry on listing such
information, said the people cited above.
“No decision was taken — it was only a consultation and
follow-up of the previous meeting. A deadline will be decided later because
packaging issues come under the consumer affairs ministry,” said a government
official aware of the details.
While Flipkart is understood to have suggested a deadline of
August 15 to implement the required backend changes, Amazon sought 2-3 months
for the same, people present in the online meeting told ET. “The government
wants that new listings be updated by August 1 and the old ones by October 1
but it was decided that work on the new ones must begin as soon as possible,”
said a company official after the virtual meeting with ecommerce companies.