Over Country Of Origin Tag, Govt Issues Notice To Amazon and Flipkart

The ministry of consumer affairs (MCA) has issued notices to e-commerce majors Flipkart and Amazon for not displaying ‘country of origin’ and given them 15 days to supply details, alongside evidence. The MCA had added that action is going to be initiated against Amazon and Flipkart if they did not provide details on the delay.

Over Country Of Origin Tag, Govt Issues Notice To Amazon and Flipkart

On Friday (October 16) the MCA had asked why Flipkart and Amazon have written to e-commerce majors Flipkart and Amazon asking them why rules under Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 haven’t been followed yet.
The letter addressed to Flipkart India Pvt. Ltd. and Amazon Development Center India Pvt.Ltd. by MCA, had specific links to the inventory, which lacked the small print, as needed under the Legal Metrology.
“… just in case marketplace model of e-commerce the responsibility of the correctness of the declarations roll in the hay the manufacturer or seller or dealer or importer,” the letter read.
Now, MCA has asked both eCommerce firms to furnish details about the vendor regarding nature and ownership of the firm, necessary incorporation documents, also as names and residential addresses of persons liable for the conduct including the respective police jurisdiction under which they reside.
The ministry has given the respective eCommerce firms 15 days to supply these details, alongside evidence failing to try to so, the action is going to be initiated against Amazon and Flipkart. This was first reported by Mint.
Over the past month, eCommerce and food delivery firms have had several meetings with the buyer affairs department also as officials from the Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade (DPIIT), regarding the addition of ‘country of origin’ tag to online product listings.
Recently, a DPIIT official had said that the government had directed eCommerce firms to suit this requirement by September 30.
Initially, the government was keen on a 1 August deadline, but the move was opposed by retailers. Ecommerce firms like Flipkart wrote to the government that they're going to need a minimum of six months to end the method.
In July, the Delhi supreme court had issued notices to Amazon and Flipkart on a plea seeking to display the names of the manufacturing countries for products on their websites.
Reportedly, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICC) wrote to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs earlier in August, posing for six to seven months for complying with the new rules.
“Some of those requirements will put undue stress on MSME sellers who have already got their backs up against the wall thanks to excessive compliances that accompany selling online,” a senior executive said.
The new rules also apply to overseas-based eCommerce entities supplying goods and services to Indian customers.
The ministry of consumer affairs (MCA) has issued notices to e-commerce majors Flipkart and Amazon for not displaying ‘country of origin’ and given them 15 days to supply details, alongside evidence had added that action is going to be initiated against Amazon and Flipkart if they did not provide details on the delay.
On Friday (October 16) the MCA had asked why Flipkart and Amazon have written to e-commerce majors Flipkart and Amazon asking them why rules under Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 haven’t been followed yet.
The letter addressed to Flipkart India Pvt. Ltd. and Amazon Development Center India Pvt.Ltd. by MCA, had specific links to the inventory, which lacked the small print, as needed under the Legal Metrology.
“… just in case marketplace model of e-commerce the responsibility of the correctness of the declarations roll in the hay the manufacturer or seller or dealer or importer,” the letter read.
Now, MCA has asked both eCommerce firms to furnish details about the vendor regarding nature and ownership of the firm, necessary incorporation documents, also as names and residential addresses of persons liable for the conduct including the respective police jurisdiction under which they reside.
The ministry has given the respective eCommerce firms 15 days to supply these details, alongside evidence On failing to try to so, the action is going to be initiated against Amazon and Flipkart.