Praveen Khandelwal notes that the nation’s economy, traders, and consumers cannot be held hostage by the irresponsible conduct of unregulated online platforms
Highlighting that recent revelations in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report have exposed a dangerous misuse of online platforms and payment apps for terror funding, Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General of Confederation of All India Traders (Cait), has stated that the accountability of ecommerce platforms must be fixed.
The Secretary General added that it is deeply alarming that such digital channels, which are meant to promote convenience and innovation, are being exploited for activities that endanger the nation. How can these ecommerce platforms avoid their responsibility, Khandelwal questioned.
Khandelwal, adding to the concern, pointed out that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) recently conducted raids on Amazon warehouses and uncovered large quantities of spurious and substandard goods, raising serious questions on the lack of regulatory compliance and consumer protection by major ecommerce platforms.
He said that these developments are not isolated incidents; they represent a growing and systemic threat to India’s retail trade and consumer safety. He suggested strict enforcement of rules under the Consumer Protection Act against violators, immediate rollout of a comprehensive ecommerce policy that ensures transparency, accountability, and fair competition, strong monitoring of digital payment gateways to prevent misuse for illicit activities and an independent regulatory authority to regulate and monitor ecommerce in India.
Khandelwal said that the nation’s economy, traders, and consumers cannot be held hostage by the irresponsible conduct of unregulated online platforms. He mentioned that urgent intervention is needed to protect India’s trade sovereignty and ensure digital commerce is safe, secure, and ethical. Khandelwal emphasised that unregulated and unethical practices by ecommerce giants are not only destroying the livelihood of local small traders, but also undermining the very framework of legal and economic accountability.
