The e-commerce industry has sought more clarity on the definition of “origin of products” as the union government started discussions with the sector on Wednesday about displaying details on the country of origin and the value added in India for products sold on their platforms.

Several e-commerce players, including retailers such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, as well as those dealing in e-grocery, food delivery and e-pharmacy participated in a virtual meeting with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) headed by joint secretary Ravinder.

People who were part of the meeting told CNBC-TV18 that the department wants consumers be given the choice to know the “origin of products.”

The industry, however, has sought more clarity on how to define “origin of products”, given the diverse supply chains for a single product.

“There is no clarity on what country of origin means. There are products which have components from different countries which get assembled here,” said an executive of an e-commerce company who did not wish to be named.

The industry also maintained that since the e-commerce platforms are marketplaces, the onus will be on the sellers and manufacturers to ensure such details are available.

“The DPIIT has asked the companies to also discuss this with sellers. There will be more meetings held in the coming weeks,” another e-commerce executive added.

Seller associations have said they are stakeholders in the e-commerce sector and should also be included by the government in such discussions.

“We hope to be invited to these discussions by DPIIT. All sellers are willing to participate on the directions of the government,” said a spokesperson of the All India Online Vendors Association (AIOVA).

The government on Tuesday had announced that all sellers on its procurement platform Government e-Marketplace, or GeM, should display “origin of products” on the platform.

Also read: Govt to meet e-commerce companies to discuss displaying 'origin of products'

First Published:Jun 24, 2020 9:40 PM IST