The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced a three-day national conclave from May 16 to 18, to be held in Delhi and Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, targeting major e-commerce and quick commerce companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto.
According to CAIT, which claims to represent over 90 million small businesses across the country, the conclave aims to strategise and mobilise a nationwide movement against what it alleges are unethical and unlawful practices by these companies. The event is expected to see participation from more than 100 top trade leaders from different states.
Allegations of Market Distortion and Regulatory Violations
CAIT has accused the platforms of systematically undermining India’s traditional retail sector by misusing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to fund predatory pricing, control supply chains, and create monopolistic dominance. The organisation claims that such practices are pushing over 30 million small retailers and kirana stores towards extinction, threatening the livelihoods of approximately 250 million individuals dependent on retail trade.
The traders’ body further alleges that rather than investing in infrastructure development, these companies have used FDI funds to subsidise losses and offer deep discounts through select vendors, in violation of FDI norms. CAIT also contends that the operations of numerous “dark stores” for quick deliveries constitute a breach of FDI policies, which prohibit e-commerce entities from maintaining inventory and operating retail outlets.
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“These commerce platforms are no less than the modern-day East India Company,” said CAIT National President B.C. Bhartia. “Their objective is to dominate the market by eliminating small grocery and retail stores, creating an uneven playing field that threatens the livelihood of over 3 crore kirana shops in India.”
Chintan Shivir to Finalize Nationwide Agitation
On May 16, CAIT will hold a day-long conclave in New Delhi, followed by a two-day “Chintan Shivir” in Vrindavan on May 17 and 18. During this period, trade leaders from across India will finalise an agitational program against the targeted companies.
According to CAIT Chairman Brij Mohan Agrawal, the planned agitation will be carried out in over 500 cities across the country. The modalities and nature of the protests will be decided during the Chintan Shivir.
The conclave is expected to culminate in a unified call for action, demanding that these e-commerce and quick commerce platforms either comply with Indian laws and fair-trade practices or exit the Indian market, CAIT said in its statement.