Ecommerce

Sector/ Activit Sectoral Cap Entry Route
E-Commerce
B2B E-commerce activities 100% Automatic
Such companies would engage only in Business to Business (B2B) e-commerce and not in retail trading, inter alia implying that existing restrictions on FDI in domestic trading would be applicable to e-commerce as well.
Market place model of e-commerce 100% Automatic

Other Conditions

(a) E-commerce’ means buying and selling of goods and services including digital products over digital & electronic network;
(b) ‘E-commerce entity’ means a company incorporated under Companies Act, 2013 or a foreign company covered under section 2 (42) of the Companies Act, 2013 or an office, branch or agency in India as provided in Section 2 (v) (iii) of FEMA, 1999, owned or controlled by a person resident outside India and conducting the e-commerce business;
(c) ‘Inventory based model of e-commerce’ means an e-commerce activity where inventory of goods and services is owned by e-commerce entity and is sold to the consumers directly;
(d) ‘Market place model of e-commerce’ means providing of an information technology platform by an e- commerce entity on a digital & electronic network to act as a facilitator between buyer and seller.
(e) Digital & electronic network will include network of computers, television channels and any other internet application used in automated manner such as web pages, extranets, mobiles etc.
(f) Marketplace e-commerce entity will be permitted to enter into transactions with sellers registered on its platform on B2B basis.
(g) E-commerce marketplace may provide support services to sellers in respect of warehousing, logistics, order fulfilment, call centre, payment collection and other services.
(h) E-commerce entity providing a marketplace will not exercise ownership over the inventory i.e. goods purported to be sold. Such an ownership over the inventory will render the business into inventory based model.
(i) An e-commerce entity will not permit more than 25 percent of the sales value on financial year basis affected through its marketplace from one vendor or their group companies.
(j) Goods/ services made available for sale electronically on website should clearly provide name, address and other contact details of the seller. Post sales, delivery of goods to the customers and customer satisfaction will be responsibility of the seller.
(k) Payments for sale may be facilitated by the e-commerce entity in conformity with the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank in this regard.
(l) Any warranty/ guarantee of goods and services sold will be the responsibility of the seller.
(m) E-commerce entities providing marketplace will not directly or indirectly influence the sale price of goods or services and shall maintain level playing field.
(n) Guidelines on cash and carry wholesale trading as given in Sl No. 15.1.2 above shall apply to B2B e- commerce activities.

Note: Foreign investment is not permitted in inventory based model of e commerce.

Sale of services through e-commerce shall be under automatic route subject to the sector specific conditions, applicable laws/ regulations, security and other conditionalities.
Single Brand Product Retail Trading Foreign investment in Single Brand Product Retail Trading (SBRT) is aimed at attracting investments in production and marketing, improving the availability of such goods for the consumer, encouraging increased sourcing of goods from India and enhancing competitiveness of Indian enterprises through access to global designs, technologies and management practices. 100% Automatic up to 49%
Government route beyond 49%
Other conditions

(a) Products to be sold should be of a 'Single Brand' only.
(b) Products should be sold under the same brand internationally i.e. products should be sold under the same brand in one or more countries other than India.
(c) 'Single Brand' product-retail trading would cover only products which are branded during manufacturing.
(d) A person resident outside India, whether owner of the brand or otherwise, shall be permitted to undertake ‘single brand’ product retail trading in the country for the specific brand, directly or through a legally tenable agreement, with the brand owner for undertaking single brand product retail trading. The onus for ensuring compliance with this condition will rest with the Indian entity carrying out single-brand product retail trading in India. The investing entity shall provide evidence to this effect at the time of seeking approval, including a copy of the licensing/ franchise/ sub-licence agreement, specifically indicating compliance with the above condition.
The requisite evidence should be filed with the RBI for the automatic route and the Government for cases involving approval.
(e) In respect of proposals involving foreign investment beyond 51 percent, sourcing of 30 percent of the value of goods purchased, will be done from India, preferably from MSMEs, village and cottage industries, artisans and craftsmen, in all sectors. The quantum of domestic sourcing will be self-certified by the company, to be subsequently checked, by statutory auditors, from the duly certified accounts which the company will be required to maintain. The procurement requirement is to be met in the first instance as an average of five years total value of goods purchased beginning 1st April of the year of the commencement of the business. Thereafter it shall be met on an annual basis. For the purpose of ascertaining the sourcing requirement, the relevant entity would be the company, incorporated in India, which is the recipient of foreign investment for the purpose of carrying out single brand product retail trading.
(f) Subject to the conditions mentioned in this Para, a single brand retail trading entity operating through brick and mortar stores, is permitted to undertake retail trading through e-commerce.
(g) Applications seeking permission of the Government for foreign investment exceeding 49 percent in a company which proposes to undertake single brand retail trading in India shall be made to the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion. The applications would specifically indicate the product/ product categories which are proposed to be sold under a ‘Single Brand’. Any addition to the product/ product categories to be sold under ‘Single Brand’ would require a fresh Government approval. In case of foreign investment up to 49 percent, the list of products/ product categories proposed to be sold except food products shall be provided to the Reserve Bank.
(h) Applications would be processed in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, to determine whether the proposed investment satisfies the notified guidelines, before being considered for Government approval.
Note:
(1) Conditions mentioned at (b) and (d) above shall not be applicable for undertaking SBRT of Indian brands.
(2) An Indian manufacturer is permitted to sell its own branded products in any manner i.e. wholesale, retail, including through e-commerce platforms.
(3) Indian manufacturer would be the investee company, which is the owner of the Indian brand and which manufactures in India, in terms of value, at least 70 percent of its products in house, and sources, at most 30 percent from Indian manufacturers.
(4) Indian brands should be owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens and/ or companies which are owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens.
(5) Sourcing norms will not be applicable up to three years from commencement of the business i.e. opening of the first store for entities undertaking single brand retail trading of products having 'state-of-art' and 'cutting-edge' technology and where local sourcing is not possible. Thereafter, condition mentioned at (e) above will be applicable.

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