Since entering India in 2013, Amazon has faced entrenched competition and restrictive government policies. Amazon has not achieved the domination in India as it has elsewhere, even with nearly $5 billion invested. Until now, Amazon and even its local competitor Flipkart (77 percent owned by Walmart) circumvented this rule by buying ownership in large local merchants, which then stocked Amazon’s and Flipkart’s products and sold them in the respective marketplaces. While Amazon owns nearly half of the products it sells worldwide, that share is zero in India.

Publication: Practical E-commerce

Date: July 30, 2019

The parcel business of Indian Railways is all set for a major boost with the national transporter roping in e-commerce giant Amazon to transport its goods by trains. The Indian Railways will give Amazon space in two of its premium trains namely, the Sealdah Rajdhani Express and the Mumbai Rajdhani Express for a period of one month. The duration of one month could be extended. The agreement states that the zones of Indian Railways will earmark a space of 2.5 tonnes in the parcel van of the trains for loading and unloading consignments of Amazon India and the remaining space of 1.5 tonnes will be for the national transporter.

Publication: Financial Express

Date: July 30, 2019

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade released the draft national e-commerce policy for India on 23 February 2019. Given that “data is the new oil”, the principal focus of the draft policy is around data localization, sovereign rights over data collected by private parties and the concept of community rights over data. However, the draft policy also touches upon a crucial aspect of e-commerce marketplace businesses, i.e. the role of an e-commerce intermediary.While the existing legal framework (both on foreign exchange laws as well as data protection laws) sets out the role of an intermediary to be merely that of a facilitator.

Publication : Vantage Asia

Date : 29 July 2019

E-commerce major Amazon on Monday said its seller base has crossed the five lakh mark in the country boosted by various India-first innovations and traders from small cities and towns. The e-tailer has crossed the mark in its more than five years of operations in the country, an official said. “The seller base has crossed the five-lakh mark,” Amazon India Vice President (Seller Services) Gopal Pillai said while attributing the rise in seller base to various India-first innovations, which encouraged sellers’ participation, especially from tier-II, and -III.

Publication: Moneycontrol

Date: July 29, 2019

Online marketplace Flipkart has launched a furniture experience centre, thus marking the firm’s first foray into the offline world. Spread across 1,800 feet, Flipkart’s furniture experience centre in Bengaluru aims to give customers a glimpse into the selection offered along with creating awareness around seamless buying and installation, said the company on Sunday. “The furniture category has traditionally had a strong presence offline, because customers like to see and touch the products they are buying,” said Adarsh Menon, vice-president of furniture, electronics and private label at Flipkart. “The idea behind the FurniSure Experience Zone is to allow customers to explore Flipkart Furniture’s offerings in a new and innovative fashion,” Menon added.

Publication: Livemint

Date: July 28 2019

As e-commerce continues to gain attention and the important role it plays in the Indian economy, the need to regulate the rapidly evolving industry is certainly required. What is surprising though is that the draft policies are inconsistent on multiple fronts – global standards, past practices, laws already in place and most of all inconsistent with current times.

Publication: Times of India

Date: July 27 2019

Amazon shares are down 2% since it reported second quarter earnings that missed analysts’ profit estimates. But that’s no reason to worry about Amazon —after all, it’s been well-known that CEO Jeff Bezos trades off profitability for growth. And in the quarter just ended, Amazon’s top-line growth accelerated to 20% as it invested $800 million in the logistics needed to make one-day shipping work for Prime members, according to the Wall Street Journal. Amazon also lost more money in its Indian e-commerce business than expected. The biggest worry for Amazon investors — beyond the long-term question of whether Bezos is lining up a successor who can better manage the company.

Publication : Forbes

Date : 27 July 2019

As the e-commerce channel expands its share of total retail sales worldwide, it’s often thought that credit and debit cards are the primary beneficiaries. Clearly consumers can’t write paper checks for most purchases at digital stores, so other instruments are likely to be used. However, depending on the country and consumer habits, cash still remains a viable payment option for e-commerce transactions — with the help of a third party to handle the payment. Additionally, the two main Chinese mobile wallets, Alipay and WeChat Pay, are seeing strong consumer demand for use in-stores.

Publication : Payment Source

Date : 26 July 2019

Amazon on Friday said it is hopeful that India would have a stable and predictable e-commerce policy, and the online retailer was engaging with the government on this. This would allow the Seattle-headquartered company to continue investing in “technology and infrastructure” in the country, said Brian Olsavsky, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Amazon during an earnings call. “And it also helps us to create jobs and scale local businesses,” he added.

Publication: Business Standard

Date: 26 July 2019

According to the current policy, 100 percent FDI is allowed in the marketplace format of ecommerce retailing. However, FDI is prohibited in the inventory-based model. This has put ecommerce market leaders Amazon and Flipkart at loggerheads with the law, with in-house sellers Cloudtail and WS Retail (respectively). Many online sellers’ organisations have complained about these marketplaces offering lower prices through their in-house sellers, giving them an unfair advantage.

Publication: YourStory

Date: 25 July, 2019

Decorating an entryway will serve two functions. One, it will impress your guests and give them a preview of your home design. Two, an uncluttered house invites a flow of positive vibes and sorting your entryway will encourage you do the same for your entire apartment. One does not have to go overboard with decor at the entryway, a striking mirror or a simple console table that can be used as for storage would fairly suffice.

Publication: The Times of India

Date: 25 July, 2019

Internet giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon have disrupted markets and culture in a lucrative rise to power that have regulators launching probes, imposing fines and even threatening to break the companies up. Government regulators are scrambling to collar the online giants, often having to update rules designed for an analog world as the digital behemoths grow in size and influence. The European Union kicked off the regulatory assault, with the United States following by launching a sweeping probe into the practices of leading online platforms, social networks, search engines and e-commerce services.

Publication : Moneycontrol

Date : 24 July 2019

A well-decorated dining room is an absolute necessity to wow your guests. The pulsing heart of the house, the interiors of the dining space offer a true impact on the dining experience and serve as the backdrop for many memorable nights. Most people predominantly focus on investing in furniture pieces for their dining space, however, one should bear in mind that intricate elements and accessories can also help set the right mood and aura, and add a slice of elegance to the dining space.

Publication: The Times of India

Date: 24 July, 2019

A committee has been constituted under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade to examine issues related to FDI in the e-commerce sector, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. The committee was constituted on July 12 under an additional secretary level officer from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) with members from the departments of commerce, consumer affairs, legal affairs and MSME.

Publication: Outlook India

Date: 24 July, 2019

With the click of a button, our groceries, clothes, personal care products, household items — just about anything — could arrive on our doorsteps in a neatly packaged cardboard box. It’s convenience, delivered. But at what cost? What happens behind-the-scenes to get a package delivered to your door is taking a toll on our planet and our health. Freight is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases and a major source of local air pollution. The rise in e-commerce is a growing part of increased pollution and poor air quality. The truth is, “free shipping” isn’t really free. We’re just paying for it in other ways.

Publication : Greenbiz

Date : 23 July 2019

Sectors including ecommerce, BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) and BPO-IT-enabled services could see a drop of up to 37% in 2019-23 compared with the earlier estimates for 2018-22. Sectors in which job creation has slowed down include marketing and advertising; agriculture and agrochemicals; telecommunications; knowledge process outsourcing; information technology; media and entertainment; and healthcare and pharmaceuticals. TeamLease Services collated data from two of its reports — The Jobs and Salaries Primer, 2019, and Employment Outlook Report, HY1, 2019-20. The numbers include both permanent and temp jobs.

Publication : ET Tech

Date : 23 July 2019

Last month, a study by Virginia-headquartered industry association for newspapers, the News Media Alliance, estimated that Google may have earned approximately $4.7 billion in 2018 in search advertising revenue through links to news content. That number was significant. It brought into sharper focus questions on internet giants’ business practices, not just in the US and Europe, but also Australia and India. At the heart of the tension between publishers and Big Tech — a term used to describe large technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon, among others.

Publication : ET Retail

Date : 24 July 2019

In a bid to take on Amazon in the burgeoning e-commerce space, Google has debuted its new shopping platform for the users in the US. If users accessing the platform log into their Gmail account, the feature will greet them by their names and show tailored suggestions, TechRadar reported on Monday. To begin with, the company does not intend to start building warehouses to stock products but plans to point shoppers in the direction of a handful of selected retailers, including Costco and Target.

Publication: ET BrandEquity

Date: 23 July, 2019

Amazon India’s largest sellers — Cloudtail and Appario — are seeking higher margins from brands and distributors, reports The Economic Times. The e-commerce giant is a joint venture partner in both Cloudtail and Appario, and recently lowered its stake in companies to meet foreign direct investment (FDI) norms. Demand for higher margins began two to three months ago, two executives from a consumer electronics firm told the paper. The e-commerce giant is a joint venture partner in both Cloudtail and Appario, and recently lowered its stake in companies to meet foreign direct investment (FDI) norms.

Publication: Moneycontrol.com

Date: 23 July, 2019

Having a proper storage plan in place plays a key role in keeping the house clean and clutter-free. Opting for storage beds would be a very wise decision as it would help in maximizing and utilising the bedroom space in the least obstructive way. Storage needs are ever increasing and beds that can store an extra supply of bedsheets and other home items in hidden storage structures are ideal for every home. Storage beds are also known as ‘trundle beds’ and can have different types of storage units as well as mechanisms under the bed.

Publication: The Times of India

Date: 23 July, 2019

The European Union recent investigation into Amazon’s business practices could be a trendsetter of sorts for other countries, especially India. It is highly relevant given the severe backlash the two e-commerce players, Amazon India and Walmart-owned Flipkart have faced, from the sellers over predatory pricing and unfair trade practices. “Opening of investigation by the EU amply endorses the complaints of CAIT which is being made against global e commerce players conducting business activities in Indian,” said Praveen Khandelwal, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). At a time when the industry is awaiting its e-commerce policy, the investigation assumes significance irrespective of the outcome.

Publication : Moneycontrol

Date : 22 July 2019

Amazon made sweeping changes to its terms of service for third-party sellers this week in an effort to address an issue that’s plagued the biggest piece of its e-commerce business. As part of a settlement it reached with German antitrust authorities over its marketplace policies, Amazon said it will now give a 30-day notice to sellers facing suspensions and provide specific reasons to those who are blocked for “alleged legal infringements.” Until now, Amazon could terminate seller accounts at any time “without justification,” according to the agreement announced by The Federal Cartel Office of Germany.

Publication : CNBC

Date : 22 July 2019

Ecommerce companies must surmount a variety of unique challenges to grow. At any given time, companies may encounter a desperate need to spruce up the look and feel of their website and mobile app, boost their digital storage capacity, or optimize the way they process transactions so that customers can make purchases on different online platforms seamlessly. They also may face concerns shared by traditional brick-and-mortar firms — for example, restocking supplies or inventory, adding employees, and managing payroll and other expenses.

Publication : E-commerce Times

Date : 20 July 2019

After the goods and services tax (GST) and demonetisation, e-commerce has seen the highest shift from the informal to the formal sector with the highest growth in flexi-staffing jobs between 2015 and 2018. According to the latest report on the flexi staffing industry by Indian Staffing Federation (ISF), the share of formal flexi-jobs in the e-commerce sector has grown from 77 per cent in 2015 to 91 per cent in 2018.Reforms like the GST and demonetisation have led to the maximum informal to formal shift across sectors in 2015-18 with e-commerce growing mo­st at 14 per cent.

Publication : Business Standard 

Date : 21 July 2019

Following the settlement with German anti-trust authority, Amazon has incorporated changes in its service terms in India. In a move to strengthen seller rights in the country, the company will now have to update its policies for third-party merchants. The ruling comes after a seven-month investigation into allegations by third-party sellers of unfair treatment by the company. The major changes will include Amazon sharing liability with business partners, a 30-day notice before removing merchants from the platform and considering the merchants while charging for product cancellations and returns.

Publication: The Asian Age

Date: 21 July, 2019

The online industry has increased by leaps and bounds, thanks to ever-evolving cloud space and artificial intelligence. Today, no one must step out of their homes to buy items as basic as a grocery or as complexes furniture, since everything is available at the tap of a finger and delivered in a greased lightning speed. Such trends are gradually becoming a part of the buying process.

Publication: Entrepreneur

Date: 20 July, 2019

For the first time, Swedish furniture retailer IKEA is exploring ecommerce in India, confirming the launch of its online delivery in Mumbai before opening a physical store. The reason – it already has a distribution hub in the state. IKEA has set up a 270,000-square-feet distribution centre in Pune in partnership with IndoSpace Industrial Park, which is leased, at a cost of Rs 20 crore per year.In fact, IKEA has already partnered with UrbanClap to install and assemble furniture as initial research showed Indians are not do-it-yourself aficionados. It plans to set up 40 centres across India in less than a decade, and is banking on building a strong distribution network

Publication : Yourstory

Date : 19 July 2019

The Union Budget 2019 clearly established the roadmap envisaged by our Government – setting India on the course to become a $5 trillion economy by 2024. What was really heartening to witness was how the honourable finance minister made it quite clear that startups and entrepreneurs will be playing a crucial role in making this a success; by introducing a slew of incentives for startups in India. For any entrepreneur, the resolution of angel tax is a big advantage. Whether they raised capital from angels or other investors, the subsequent relief in terms of capital gains, valuation and taxation are huge.

Publication : Entrepreneur

Date : 19 July 2019

India has a robust and vibrant startup base of over 40,000 companies that is growing at a steady pace. A digital revolution powered by smartphones, a sizable middle class with growing disposable incomes and a consequent rise in consumerism are some factors that have propelled this growth. This is not exactly a recent occurrence, but rather the latest development in an evolutionary curve that can be traced back four decades. The late eighties saw the birth of IT companies, some of whom became giants on the global economic map after the IT revolution.

Publication : Sunday Guardian

Date : 20 July 2019

Start-ups and experts welcomed the Centre’s move to encourage only genuine start-ups by introducing an amendment to the Finance Bill, passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday. This includes a penalty of 200 per cent for not complying with the conditions laid down for availing angel tax exemption.“The finance minister has assured start-ups that they would be protected from the hassles of angel tax. Earlier, only registered start-ups were given exemption from angel tax. But now, it has been extended to all start-ups submitting the prescribed forms. This is a welcome change and will be of great help to the start-ups.

Publication : Business Standard

Date : 20 July 2019

RentMojo, a Bengaluru-based appliances and furniture rental startup, has bagged ₹1.16 crore from Renaud Laplanche, cited yourstory. Renaud Laplanche is the CEO and co-founder of Upgrade. While, according to the reports, the company has issued 125 series C compulsory convertible preferences shares at a premium amount of ₹92,707.42 per share.

Publication: The Indian Wire

Date: 20 July, 2019

E-commerce and the growing influence of digital on purchase behaviour for consumer durables is offering brands such as Prestige, Crompton & Greaves, Philips and several local and hyperlocal labels a new way to expand their footprint. By using the digital influencer route or working closely with local retailers to help first-time internet users discover and buy their brands.

Publication: Business Standard

Date: 18 July 2019

In a move to encourage only genuine start-ups, a penalty of 200 percent has been introduced for not complying with the government’s conditions while availing angel tax exemption. The penalty pertaining to under-reporting of income — introduced through an amendment to the Finance Bill passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday — is aimed at deterring the misuse of angel tax exemption, allowed in the Budget for FY20.

Publication: Business Standard

Date: 19 July 2019

In a global first, Swedish furniture chain Ikea will launch online shopping services in a market — Mumbai — before opening physical stores. In addition, the Netherlands-headquartered retailer will open small neighbourhood stores across India as part of its overall strategy to reach younger customers. Ikea, known for its vast network of self-service, out-of-town megastores measuring 4-5 lakh sqft, will launch stores sized 50,000-1,50,000 sqft that will enable it to penetrate deeper into the domestic unorganised furniture market and take on local retailers, including Urban Ladder, Pepperfry, Godrej and Fabindia.

Publication: The Times of India

Date: 19 July 2019

The Indian e-commerce market is expected to hit $200 billion by 2026. This will be predominantly facilitated by increased internet and smartphone penetration, with a total user base expected to reach 829 million by 2021, up from 560 million in 2018. Diving deeper, we see that most of this will be driven by the sales of electronics. While India’s e-commerce sector is still at a nascent stage, it is set for a high rate of growth, and by 2022 it is projected to be worth over $71 billion.

Publication: Forbes

Date: 19 July 2019

With the pressure of speed and scale, start-ups that are building for international markets/customers cannot afford to be held back by Indian regulations. We don’t see this trend reversing any time soon. Mumbai-based Blume Ventures has been one of the most active ventures with over 120 investments in start-ups across multiple sectors since its inception in 2011. Business Today spoke to its managing partner Karthik Reddy about the coming of age of start-up funding and the role policy can play to spurt Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Publication: Business Today

Date: 17 July 2019

Indian CFOs are quite bullish about the economic growth prospects this year. According to an American Express Global Survey, 80 percent of Indian CFOs surveyed expect a substantial or modest economic expansion in the year ahead, substantially higher than their global peers at 71 percent. Also, 90 percent of Indian CFOs believe that improving cash and working capital management will be more important this year as compared to the last. In all, 180 CFOs and other senior finance executives from Asia and 30 from companies in India participated in the study.

Publication: The Hindu Business Line

Date: 17 July 2019

In one of Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad’s last meetings with company managers, he stressed the importance of long-term thinking, saying: “Think about where we should be in 200 years’ time.” When some managers asked if that was thinking too far ahead, he replied: “Of course, but then you make the short-term plan: the next 100 years.”Torbjörn Lööf, chief executive of Inter Ikea Group, is doing his best to put the founder’s words into action, presiding over the most radical shift in the furniture retailer’s business model since Kamprad began selling replicas of his uncle’s kitchen table in 1943.

Publication : Management Today

Date : July 17, 2019

When business leaders think of digital transformation, they need to focus on four levers — business model, talent strategy, leadership style and organisation culture. Changing the culture of the organisation is arguably the toughest lever of the four. The talent strategy complements the business model and the leader’s role lies in leveraging the team at the top to change how every employee drives the transformation in every day behaviour.When you look at the values that organisations articulate on their posters, most sound the same. Customer obsession, integrity, teamwork, innovation, diversity, courage, saving the planet… these have all been used.

Publication : The Hindu Business Line

Date  : July 18, 2019

In today’s competitive digital environment, the commerce experience matters as much or more than shipping promotions and ad placements. Here are some tips for selecting your ideal commerce solution. There was a time, not long ago, when having an e-commerce solution simply meant being able to process transactions online. While today’s solutions still need to offer this capability, there’s much more to creating the personalized, contextualized experience that customers now expect from brands.

Publication: Sitecore

Date: 17 July 2019

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for speeding up the draft of first National Retail Policy which is about to be released by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) very soon. The policy will encourage structured growth of trade & commerce in India which has a huge potential to grow and there is a need to just exploit the resources of domestic trade, said CAIT.

Publication:KNN

Date: July 17, 2019

India is witnessing a high growth in the number of start-ups in the country and is also amongst the top start-up ecosystems in the world. The government has provided a few benefits to startups as well, through the Startup India Action Plan. However, only a few of these start-ups actually succeed. An advisor or an advisory board in a start-up might help the early stage companies to atleast know some of those unknowns. The comfort of speaking with an advisor where they bring in the expert views, advice and sheer experience onto the table is very valuable. As the saying goes, ‘Experience is the best teacher’.

Publication: Mondaq

Date: July 17, 2019

Urban millennials are looking for better jobs and would be happy to consider freelance work as an alternative to their current job, shows survey data. The gig economy is on the rise in India and many young Indians are welcoming it. Data from the second round of the YouGov-Mint Millennial Survey conducted earlier this year shows that more than 80% of working adults believe that freelance work is a viable alternative to full-time employment and they would consider taking up freelance work in the future.

Publication: Livemint

Date: 16 July, 2019

Walmart-owned Flipkart has begun incentivizing sellers to pass on additional discounts to customers enrolled in its loyalty programme Flipkart Plus by offering the vendors non-cash credits, even as the Indian government clamps down on what it describes as “predatory pricing” on e-commerce platforms. As part of a new promotional programme on Flipkart, vendors choosing to offer a 5% additional discount to consumers will receive as much as 50% of discount value back as non-cash credit note.  The move is significant as Indian foreign direct investment (FDI) rules prohibit foreign-owned e-commerce marketplaces from directly or indirectly influencing the price of products sold on their platforms.

Publication: The Economic Times

Date: 16 July, 2019

Regulatory cholesterol is one of the reasons for start-ups to lose heart—the failure rate of start-ups is quite high, but closure can take more than two years. The government’s intent to further simplify procedures, reduce red-tape and make the best use of technology was clearly set out. However, there was no reference of a refreshing, revolutionary move that is already on the cards. A draft Cabinet note has reportedly been circulated last month on the National Ease of Doing Business Policy, where, for the first time, we see the government holding the bureaucrats accountable for the compliance requirements they place on businesses.

Publication: Financial Express

Date: 16 July, 2019

As the deadline for e-commerce marketplaces to submit their reports proving compliance with the latest FDI guidelines approaches, the Reserve Bank of India is soon expected to come up with a mechanism for submission of such reports in line with the norms announced by the Industry Department in December last year, a senior government official said. Currently, India allows 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in e-commerce but has disallowed inventory model for the same.

Publication: The Indian Express

Date: 16 July, 2019

Union Budget 2019-20 had some bright spots. The enduring issue of angel tax for startups has been resolved to a large extent, perhaps completely. There are encouraging plans to get India skilled in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality (VR). And the critical gap in research to achieve the well-intentioned goals in the emerging fields of AI and IoT would hopefully be addressed by the setting up of a National Research Foundation, which was another major announcement in the budget speech.

Publication: Livemint

Date: July 15, 2019

The Indian government keeps coming up with newer ways to pull in foreign direct investments (FDI) and empower e-commerce startups. On the other hand, it also enforces restrictions to protect the business interests of local kirana players. The new e-commerce policy marks a clear recent shift in the government’s mood towards the latter. Once implemented, the policy will straight-away put a halt on e-commerce firms in India who trade via companies in which they hold equity.  Another aim of the policy is to check the concept of unlimited cashback and deep discounting that often drive a disproportionate percentage of customers to online sellers.

Publication: BW BusinessWorld

Date: July 15, 2019

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade will soon float draft national retail policy, aimed at promoting growth of 65 million small traders, to seek views of stakeholders, a top official said. The policy will streamline the retail trade and promote ease of doing business in the sector. The main elements of the policy include promoting ease of doing business, licensing, access to funds, direct selling, and hyper-market related matters. “It will also focus on ways how to promote growth of retail sector, increase in digital payment, reducing infrastructural bottlenecks,” the official said.

Publication: The Economic Times

Date: July 15, 2019

The plurilateral negotiations on e-commerce among 76 countries (EU and 43 other countries), which were launched in the beginning of this year, has raised concerns and anxiety amongst industry and policymakers in India. The fear of losing out by not participating in the ongoing negotiations is primarily based on two arguments. First, India will lose out on the opportunity to shape the on-going negotiations in e-commerce, especially around the rules governing data, and second, if India decides to join later it will have to pay the cost, mainly by accepting the negotiated outcomes.

Publication: The Hindu Business Line

Date: July 14, 2019

The ‘Bahi Khaata’ of FM Nirmala Sitharaman and the steps to improve the future of startups in India were the two things that caught the eyes of every person waiting for budget 2019. As stated by Mrs Sitharaman, ‘India eyes to become five trillion dollar economy by 2025’, and startups will play a huge role in this. India, being the third largest startup ecosystem is already at the top of the charts and after the budget, a further rise in position can be expected. Startups in India have not only accumulated large funding ($4.3 Billion) in the year 2018 but have also been one of the highest job generators.

Publication : Entrepreneur India 

Date : July 13, 2019

Startups also lead to the creation of a skilled workforce. In our case, quite a few of our earlier employers who were doing manual labour are today skilled to operate the fabrication machines as well as proficient in critical contemporary skills like computer literacy and communication skills. Roti, kapda aur makaan’ – from a film title to electoral promises, these three fundamental needs have formed the holy trinity of Indian citizen’s basic self-sufficiency. The most dependable way of fulfilling these needs, globally, has been employed’ (or, hashtag friendly equivalent, job) generation. In a capitalist economy, the government’s role is to formulate and implement policies that encourage job creation.

Publication: India Today

Date: July 13, 2019

India’s top newage internet firms including Flipkart, Amazon, and Snapdeal are in the process of submitting detailed reports to the ministry of commerce and industry, explaining their company structures and business operations in India, multiple people with knowledge of the matter told ET. This is the first such instance of the government seeking such a clarification on the way these internet companies function, and comes on the back of several complaints being made by seller bodies and other rival players about internet commerce firms allegedly violating laws that govern the sector. The development also coincides with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) conducting a survey on the ecommerce market in India.

Publication: The Economic Times

Date: July 12, 2019

One year into India, furniture giant IKEA is slipping on its promises. Its investment in Livspace, looking to standardize the interiors business, could give it a leg-up. But the commercial synergies the two are exploring will take a lot more than what they’ve got on their catalogues.  IKEA thinks Livspace—one of the country’s better-performing interior decor startups—could be that wedge. After all, new homes are all about furniture and interiors, so budgets are usually higher. In May this year, Ingka Investments—IKEA’s investment unit—made a $10-15 million bet on the Bengaluru-based company. The company hasn’t disclosed the figure but sources put it between $10 and15 million.

Publication: The Ken

Date: July 11, 2019

E-commerce has been the buzz word lately. Everyone is talking about it as investors have put-in billions of dollars in companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal while the sector shows no sign of profitability. Not just that, it remains anyone’s guess that when and if at all the sector will become profitable ever! Why is it so that while Amazon USA has churned out eight consecutive quarterly profits, Amazon India shows no signs of profitability even with more than $2 billion in investments from the parent company?

India is fundamentally a different retail market when compared to the USA!

Publication: Entrepreneur 

Date: July 10, 2019

There is no proposal under consideration of the government to constitute e-regulatory authority to regulate and monitor e-commerce business in India, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. “No such proposal is under consideration of the government to constitute e-regulatory authority to regulate and monitor e-commerce business,” Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. He said measures to check malpractices by e-commerce companies including predatory prices and deep discounts are laid down in the Competition Act, 2002, which also checks anti-competitive agreements, including vertical restraints.

Publication: The Times of India

Date: July 10, 2019

Regulators are waking up to the threat posed by the dominance of internet firms to competitors. In June, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) announced that it was conducting a market study on e-commerce in India. While doing so, the antitrust regulator gave perhaps the first public indication about the novelty of challenges posed by the internet and giant platforms that it enables. This is the closest the CCI has come to admitting that the present competition laws may not be equipped to deal with the shape-shifting, confounding challenges posed by the nature of internet platforms to competition regulation.

Publication: Livemint

Date: July 10, 2019

For manufacturers to also rent, it calls for a very different risk appetite that few have. “There is nothing common in the way manufacturers run their business versus rental companies,” says Ashish Goel, co-founder and CEO of furniture maker Urban Ladder. “The type of product, financial model and operating model—nothing is common. You need very sharp financial engineering for this more than anything else,” he says. Goel estimates that to generate the same Rs 100 crore ($14.5 million), a rental company would need 3X more inventory than a manufacturer. Urban Ladder has decided to avoid the rental space altogether.

Publication: The Ken

Date: July 10, 2019

Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart are seeking to quell price distortions, making steep discounts less of a possibility, to ensure strict compliance with e-commerce rules for foreign marketplace companies. They are asking brands to give in writing negotiated, pre-determined prices — also called market operating prices — for products to sellers and certify that any discounts beyond this will be borne by them – marketplaces and sellers will have nothing to do with it, said executives with knowledge of the matter.

Publication: Economic Times

Date: July 10, 2019

By 2023, $10.4 billion or 28% of sales for durables will be online. Digitally influenced shoppers researching, shopping, and reviewing large appliances online are set to spur the demand for such goods using the internet as a medium over the next five years. Cheaper data rates and access to online shopping has pushed the digital influence on the sale of large appliances to 28% of the overall consumer durables market. Such “digitally influenced” sales measured by the report as the use of internet by shoppers during the entire purchase cycle will impact 63% of total consumer durables sold in India by 2023.

Publication: LiveMint

Date: July 9, 2019

Ahead of Prime Day (July 15 – 16), Amazon today announced the expansion of its network of specialized Fulfilment Centers (FC) and Delivery Stations for Large Appliances and Furniture. The company will launch specialized Fulfilment Centers in two new cities – Patna and Guwahati, and add more storage capacity to its existing specialized FCs in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ludhiana, and Ahmedabad among other cities. The e-commerce platform increases storage capacity; boosts faster deliveries for customers across 14,000 pin codes.

Publication: Economic Times

Date: July 8, 2019

In addition to experiencing the products, customers will also be able to, as Amazon explain, fly through the world of Prime Day, walk through its streets and play engaging games, at these VR booths. This means that they will also get a chance to take a look at the movie titles and new music releases that will be available during the Prime Day.  Amazon’s VR booths are available at – Select City Walk and Ambience Mall in Delhi NCR, Phoenix Market City in Bengaluru, Express Avenue in Chennai, Amanora Mall in Pune, GVK One in Hyderabad, and Mani Square in Kolkata.

Publication : India Today

Date : July 8, 2019

Union Budget 2019: The FM announced that the eligible start-ups shall not be subjected to any tax scrutiny in relation to valuation subject to submission of prescribed declarations and information. The Angel tax, introduced by the Budget 2012, has been a major concern. It is a tax levied in the hands of an unlisted company that has raised capital at a value exceeding its fair market value, determined as per the valuation methodology prescribed under the Income Tax rules. Excess of such share issue proceeds over and above the fair value is taxable in the hands of the recipient company.

Publication: Financial Express 

Date: July 9, 2019

IT industry body Nasscom has said the slew of incentives announced for startups in the budget will help facilitate funding and reduce the  regulatory and tax compliance burden on these fledgling enterprises. As part of the budget, the government has proposed a host of incentives, including a special arrangement for resolution of pending assessments of income tax cases with a view to encouraging startups.

Publication : The Times of India 

Date : July 7, 2019

The country’s startup community should not worry about taxmen and concentrate on their businesses as concerns related to ‘angel tax’ have been “sorted out”, CBDT chief P.C. Modi said on Saturday. All “legacy issues” related to startups will be resolved through a consultative process and under the strict supervision of senior officers of the tax authority. In her maiden Budget speech on Friday, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed a number of measures to resolve the problems faced by startups regarding initial funding, generally referred to as the angel tax, their certification and verification of investors.

Publication : Mint

Date : July 6, 2019

Major single-brand retailers, including IKEA and H&M, Friday hailed the government’s budget proposal to ease local sourcing norms for foreign direct investment in the sector. Industry experts opined that the budget proposal would help attract more foreign players to invest in India. Under the current norms, 100 per cent FDI is permitted in the single-brand retail trade with a rider of 30 per cent mandatory local sourcing to promote micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Publication : Financial Express

Date : July 5, 2019

“The Indian Government’s priority to bring about ease of doing business for companies is encouraging. IKEA is committed to increasing local sourcing from India,” IKEA India CEO Peter Betzel said. H&M India Country Manager Janne Einola also hailed the proposal to ease local sourcing norms. “While we don’t see the details of the proposal currently, we are happy to see the intent of the government to ease sourcing norms for FDI in single-brand retail to drive ease of doing business in India,” Einola said. Currently, the FDI policy on single-brand retail trade (SBRT) provides for a 30 per cent local sourcing preferably from MSMEs.

Publication : Orissa Post

Date : July 6,  2019

Planned amendments to various laws will bring down the cost of digital transactions The Narendra Modi government, since its inception, has been promoting digital payments to make digital inclusion the cornerstone of the economy. For further transparency in digitization, it has proposed more initiatives for digital payments in the Budget. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government has taken a number of initiatives in the recent past for the promotion of digital payments and a less-cash economy, and to push this further, she proposed a slew of measures.

Publication: The Hindu Business Line

Date: July 5, 2019

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday proposed relaxing local sourcing norms in foreign direct investment (FDI) in single-brand. This proposal is likely to bring good news for single-brand retailers such as Ikea, H&M, and those in the queue, such as Apple. More brands may join the line if the relaxations are significant. Currently, the FDI policy allows 100% foreign investment in single-brand retail under the automatic route, but requires an investor to source 30% preferably from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), village and cottage industries, artisans and craftsmen.

Publication: News18, Economic Times,

Date: July 5, 2019

The government will set-up a new TV programme on DD, exclusively for startups in the country Several changes across labour laws, education and rental housing to have a direct impact on startups in the country. They include a TV programme exclusively for startups, easing foreign direct investment rules into startup segments like grocery, e-commerce and food delivery, proposing a host of enhancements to the digital payment systems ecosystem that would help fintech startups, incentives for electric vehicles that would help EV startups, and ensuring that startups do not feel the heat of angel tax from I-T authorities.

Publication: Livemint

Date: July 5, 2019

Modi’s expectations may not have been fulfilled in the Union budget, but finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced several incentives to unleash the “entrepreneurial spirit” among startups. The announcement that probably brought the biggest relief to the sector was that startups and their investors who provide requisite documents will not be subject to angel tax assessment. “Funds raised by startups will not require any kind of scrutiny from the income tax department,” Sitharaman said.

Publication : Mint

Date : July 5, 2019

A vibrant start-up ecosystem in the country is primarily led by business-to-consumer (B2C) companies focused on easing public service delivery and driving efficiencies in various sectors, which is reflected in the fact that private funding received by such firms are nearly double of that by those operating in the business-to-business (B2B) space, the Economic Survey said. While B2B start-ups raised close to $1 billion in funding in 2014, managing to shore it up to about $3.5 billion in 2018, B2C start-ups received close to $8 billion funding last year, a significant rise from over $4 billion it attracted in 2014.

Publication: Financial Express

Date: July 5, 2019

Merchants from India saw an increase of four per cent in e-commerce sale on international marketplaces in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter, says a new report. Sales from India were up 121 per cent on year-on-year basis, according to the Global Seller Index report from Payoneer, a leading cross-border payment platform. The top-10 countries in terms of sales on international marketplaces have stayed the same since last quarter. However, both India and Japan moved up one spot, reaching the number six and eight slots, respectively.

Publication: Economic Times

Date: July 4, 2019

The Modi 2.0 government aims to empower startups to grow through innovation and design. Its objective is to create a New India in which startups are encouraged to go global by helping to increase their turnover from Rs 25 crore to 100 crore. The “Startup India” action plan has a 19-point agenda, which envisages multiple incubation centers, easier patent filing, tax exemptions, ease of doing business and a Rs 10,000 crore corpus fund for investing in startups.Industry opinion is that the startups are cautiously optimistic, since the startup ecosystem has survived through various challenges.

Publication : Financial Express

Date : July 03, 2019

Ingka Group and IKEA India are taking the next step in transforming the business by integrating sustainability in its core retail business. As part of that initiative, Country Retail Managers will be accountable for implementing IKEA’s sustainability strategy, People & Planet Positive, in their respective countries.In India, IKEA will shift to electric vehicles for delivery services by 2025. Last year, the Better Air project was initiated with the goal of converting rice husk that is a major cause of pollution in northern India, into IKEA products.

Publication : The Hindu Business Line

Date : July 03, 2019

IKEA has announced that Peter Betzel will handle the additional responsibility as Chief Sustainability Officer for India.This is part of a wider transformation agenda that Ingka Group has embarked on. Ingka Group and IKEA India are taking the next step in transforming the business by integrating sustainability in the core of the IKEA retail business.The Country Retail Managers will be overall accountable for implementing the IKEA sustainability strategy. “We want to grow the IKEA business in a sustainable way – we know that our future success lies in our ability to make a positive impact for people and planet.

Publication : Exchange4media

Date : July 03, 2019

The winter that set in late 2015 on funding appears to have thawed as there is renewed funding galore in Indian startups. In the quarter ending March 2019, Indian startups recorded total funding of $3.42 billion. India’s startup ecosystem is going through a purple patch and the government stability and roadmap to boost economic environment is inspiring more entrepreneurial minds. While this growth in the Indian startup ecosystem is a good omen, the reality is that the top five most-funded startups which make up a mere 3.06% of the total number of startups funded this quarter — contributed 43% to the total $3.42 billion raised in Q1.

Publication : The Economic Times

Date : July 02, 2019

A leading U.S. retail group, whose members include Walmart Inc., is eager to aid antitrust enforcers that are poised to investigate whether Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google are harming competition. The group wrote a letter to the FTC dated Sunday, arguing that the tech platforms create an “information bottleneck” that has the power to skew markets and circumvent the traditional power of price competition. The group also pointed to Amazon’s perceived dominance of e-commerce, where it has nearly 50% of U.S. online sales.

Publication: Bloomberg

Date: July 2, 2019

After a years-long drought, a wave of technology startups — Uber, Lyft, Pinterest and more — are going public, evidence that the sector is thriving. But there’s a shadow hanging over almost all of them. Seventeen of the 22 tech initial public offerings that aimed to raise $100 million or more in the last 18 months mention Amazon.com Inc. or Google — and sometimes both — as a competitor or risk to their business. Many, like cyber security software maker Tenable Holdings Inc., are operationally dependent on Amazon’s cloud.

Publication : Forbes India 

Date : July 2, 2019

IKEA’s new series comprising boxes, baskets, mats, lamps are made from recycled rice straws that prevent farmers from burning crops and polluting the environment. In 2018, IKEA launched the ‘Better Air Now’ initiative with the aim to take action on this global environmental issue. The idea was to turn the leftover rice straws into raw material for prospective products. The results of this initiative are seen in the FÖRÄNDRING collection which feature boxes, baskets, mats, lamps, etc.

Publication: Architectural Digest

Date: July 2, 2019

Some unlisted e-commerce names such as ANI Technologies (Ola), Oravel Stays (Oyo Rooms) and One97 Communications (Paytm) have been creating quite a splash in the unlisted market, mainly on the strength of their titular value, drawing in small and retail investors. Many such investors flocking to these counters are not even aware of the challenges of the unlisted space, especially with regard value fluctuation and limited liquidity. Many are drawn to such propositions on the lure of attractive valuations and herd mentality.

Pubication: Economic Times

Date: 1 July, 2019

India’s new e-commerce policy is reportedly expected to require e-commerce marketplaces such as Amazon, and Flipkart, to give proof that the product discounts are being offered by the online seller and not the e-commerce platform. The policy may reportedly even set a limit on the maximum discount that can be offered on a product. Heavy cashbacks offered by mobile wallets might also be regulated. These regulations may be included in the upcoming Indian e-commerce policy.

Publication: Inc.42

Date: 1 July, 2019

E-commerceE-commerce policy

The global retail market will reach $25.038 trillion in 2019, an increase of 4.5% and a slight acceleration in growth vs. the prior year, per our estimates. At the same time, it represents a marked decline from the five years preceding that, when global retail sales grew at rates between 5.7% and 7.5% each year.

Publication: eMarketer

Date: June 30, 2019

Issues such as draft e-commerce policy, data protection and price control on some medical devices are expected to figure in the upcoming meeting between India and the European Union (EU) on July 4 in Brussels. The officials of both the sides may discuss these issues as part of their Trade Sub-Commission meeting.

Publication: moneycontrol.com

Date: June 30, 2019

Startups in India have raised a record $3.9 billion from venture capitalists in the six months ended 30 June, as the world’s biggest investors doubled down on their bets in the country buoyed by the Flipkart-Walmart deal last year. The investments this year across 292 deals is a 44.4% jump from the $2.7 billion received by domestic startups in the first half of 2018, showed data from Venture Intelligence, a startup data tracker.

Publication: Mint

Date: June 30, 2019

Working with an interior designer is a great way to transform your space. They can work magic turning a boring room into a bold reflection of your style and personality. A good interior designer knows how to create a space that’s just as beautiful as it is functional. It’s an investment that many people will say is well worth it. But while an interior designer provides a service, many forget that it is also a collaborative effort.

Publication: Forbes

Date: June 30, 2019

Amazon India has launched its offline engagement campaign as a lead up to Prime Day that will be held on July 15 and 16. The online marketplace aims to engage with customers offline and make them experience the world of Prime through vibrant on-ground installations along with a mascot that brings Prime Day to life. This India-first campaign will be visible to customers across airports, malls and IT parks in the Metros until Prime Day.

Publication: Exchange4Media

Date: June 30, 2019