E-commerce seeks a slot in trade basket

India’s coming foreign trade policy must be dealing with the e-commerce for the first time amid demands for helping millions of manufacturers become exporters. Several e-commerce firms have sent recommendations for export promotion in new policy.

The suggestions made to the Directorate General of trade are largely on digitization and call for compliance burdens to be eased for MSMEs. Companies and industry bodies recommended creating a knowledge centre for spreading awareness among MSMEs, setting up a different export promotion council for e-commerce.

The draft foreign trade policy is currently under review with commerce minister before it is released to govt. secretaries for any additional consultation.

Abhijit Kamra, Director, global trade, Amazon India said, “The upcoming policy can provide the chance for e-commerce exports to scale, and we have been part of forums proposing structural changes”.

Amazon Inc. CEO Jeff Bezos last year said, “The firm will export Make in India products worth $10 billion in next few years. Amazon India has so far facilitated exports worth $2 billion in this mission”.