As India’s online shopping revolution races toward a $250 billion valuation by 2030, traditional retailers are fighting for survival. The All India Traders Confederation (CAIT) on Sunday urged the government to enact a robust national e-commerce policy to shield small businesses from the unregulated digital giants.
Addressing Minister Piyush Goyal, CAIT’s Praveen Khandelwal referenced the Deloitte-Google report forecasting the sector’s growth from nearly $90 billion currently to $250 billion in five years. Key drivers include 220 million Gen Z shoppers contributing 45% of online spends, 150 million new users, and per-person spending doubling.
Smaller cities now power 60% of the customer base, half the expenditure, and most orders, signaling a shift in consumption patterns that demands regulatory balance.
Khandelwal stressed the policy must enforce FDI rules rigorously, curb predatory pricing, regulate unauthorized outlets, ensure algorithm transparency, combat fake goods, promote fair access for small sellers, secure data, and establish quick complaint resolution.
India’s vast network of small retailers, grocers, and supply chain players feeds millions of households. Any disruption here spells economic distress and job losses on a massive scale.
CAIT President BC Bhartia lambasted e-commerce majors for evading rules with backdoor inventory ownership, favoritism, and private branding. Marketplace facades hide control-based models fueled by loss-leading discounts, hidden stocks, manipulative designs, biased rankings, and poor-quality products.
Such practices erode competition and endanger the livelihoods of lakhs of dedicated traders. With digital commerce reshaping India, CAIT insists on policies that foster inclusive prosperity rather than monopoly dominance.
