DIGITAL INDIA BILL
Why the Digital Competition Bill has started a polarising debate in the tech industry
India’s Digital Competition Bill has turned previous foes in the tech industry into unlikely allies and sparked a polarising debate on market practices. The Committee on Digital Competition Law (CDCL) on February 27, submitted its report to the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) after working on it for more than a year.
Madras HC delivers shot in the arm for online pharmacies
In a shot in the arm for epharmacies, the Madras High Court overturned a previous ruling by a single-judge bench restricting online platforms like Tata 1mg, PharmEasy, Netmeds, and Practo from engaging in the digital trade of medicines.
Credit card bill payment hurdles; startup funding logs slight uptick
Happy Friday! The central bank has mandated credit card bill payments through Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), but only eight of 34 banks are live on the network, causing concern among payment companies. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Mom & pop stores vs new kids: India's ubiquitous kirana stores have a new rival
Tech-enabled players running self-service outlets like Frendy, SuperK, and Kirana King are challenging traditional kirana stores post-Covid. These modern trade stores have digital apps for orders and sourcing, contributing 4% to FMCG sales and up to 10% in premium categories.
Citing overlaps, experts seek rejig of Digital Competition Bill
The ministry of electronics and information technology continued discussions on the digital competition bill with think tanks and industry bodies raising concerns about foreign regulation approaches. The impact on startups and overlap with existing laws were highlighted.
MeitY meets firms to review concerns on Digital Competition Law
Indian policymakers discussed the impact of the proposed Digital Competition Bill on data and digital markets at the MEITY meeting with industry representatives. Stakeholders had differing opinions on the regulations, with some supporting its provisions while others raised concerns about deterred investments.
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100-Day action plan: DPIIT looking to start up funding & spur manufacturing push
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in India is planning to focus on easing early-stage funding for startups, reducing compliance burdens, and reducing logistics costs as part of its 100-day action plan. The plan includes a policy for deep-tech startups, reforms for ease of doing business, and a public-private partnership model of governance.
How to prevent Big Tech dominance, protect privacy and ensure fair competition
The magnitude, scale and speed at which such platforms operate demand ex ante regulation, if the real interests of consumers are to be protected.
MeitY to discuss digital competition bill draft with industry associations
The government is holding meetings to address concerns about the draft Digital Competition Bill, which proposes obligations for big tech companies in core digital services under a new category of systemically significant digital enterprises.
Govt may release DPDP rules for public consultation before start of Parliament session
The DPDP Act, passed in August, aims to have administrative rules notified within a year to ensure compliance. The Act focuses on personal data collection, processing, and storage, marking India's first regulation on digital personal privacy. The rules are crucial for data protection, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory enforcement.
India's EU-like antitrust law worrying technology firms
India's proposed antitrust law, influenced by a panel report, targets tech giants with global turnovers exceeding $30 billion. The law aims to prevent market concentration, similar to the EU's Digital Markets Act.
Data protection, AI rules top tech’s wishlist for next govt
Technology policy lawyers, think tanks and policy groups are making a list of priority items for the new leadership at the IT ministry after the results of the general elections. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules seem to top the list, along with regulation of AI and the Digital India Bill.
IAMAI view on draft Digital Law not shared by all constituents: four members tell MCA
Four members of IAMAI, including Bharat Matrimony, Match Group, Hoichoi, and ShareChat, express divergent views on ex-ante regulation in the draft DCB to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Adani One superapp clocked gross sales of Rs 750 crore in FY24
According to the 2023-24 annual report of the Ahmedabad-based conglomerate's flagship company Adani Enterprises, the user base of the superapp grew to 30 million at the end of the financial year. The company aims to expand the superapp's customer base to 400 million by 2030. Adani group is also in discussions with Paytm for potentially acquiring a stake in the fintech firm.
Google, Amazon, Apple lobby group opposes India's EU-like antitrust proposal
India is drafting a new competition law to target big digital firms, with a U.S. lobby group urging a rethink to avoid potential business impacts.
How Jocata is helping financial services industry move from legacy systems to AI-powered solutions
Jocata’s low-code platform is driving the future of enterprise lending and embedded finance, says Prashant Muddu, Managing Director & CEO.
NCLAT defers hearing on Google's Play Store billing policy to July 5
Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation, People Interactive India which operates Shaadi.com, and Mebigo Labs which operates Kuku FM have filed petitions before the NCLAT against Play Store billing policy.
CCI chief flags 'opacity of algorithms', potential 'data dominance' concerns in digital markets
Competition Commission of India (CCI) chief Ravneet Kaur highlighted the opacity of algorithms in assessing their impact on competition, emphasizing the need for competition law to evolve in digital markets. The CCI is closely monitoring digital markets to combat anti-competitive practices. Kaur also announced a forthcoming market study on Artificial Intelligence during the 15th annual day event.
Draft digital competition bill will make business untenable: IAMAI
Ex-ante regimes tell businesses precisely how to behave, or what to do. Under the current ex-post regime of the Competition Act, companies are only required to ensure that their conduct in the market is not anti-competitive. An overlapping ex-ante regime proposed under the digital competition Bill will force tech companies to comply with parallel legislation and undertake measures for additional compliance, the IAMAI said.
KukuFM, Shaadi and IBDF appeal NCLAT against CCI’s interim order in Google Play Store case
Google given a week to respond to appeals against CCI order by KukuFM & IBDF. Startups accuse Google of discriminatory fees. The tribunal will address the matter on May 24.
Paytm Paytments Bank moves bill pay business to Euronet India
Paytm Payments Bank transitions bill payment operations to Euronet Services India, impacting commission revenue. Senior executives resign amidst business challenges, influencing OCL's performance in the market.
Uber’s hyperlocal push; Paytm Bank’s bill pay biz transferred
Happy Thursday! Ride-hailing platform Uber is strengthening its hyperlocal deliveries from neighbourhood stores. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Google contends its app store doesn't abuse dominance
Google defended its Google Play Store at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, asserting it didn't engage in anti-competitive behavior or misuse its dominance. The counsel for Alphabet Inc argued the store provided users and developers with options and played a vital role without qualifying as a gatekeeper under Indian regulations.
Big Tech says ex-ante antitrust regulations will hurt innovation
Draft Digital Competition Bill proposes ex-ante regulations similar to the EU's DMA, impacting user experience and innovation. Concerns over potential overregulation and necessity of new laws in India are being debated.
Your preference for digital is leaving banks with a bigger bill
As more and more people in India take to paying digitally, banks are having to pick up a larger tab on account of rising costs of maintaining a competent IT system.
Need time to study impact of proposed digital competition law, say tech policy advocacy groups
21 organisations urge a 5-month extension from the government for insights on the Digital Competition Bill draft, emphasizing the alignment of various regulations and the essential 'whole of government' approach.
Govt extends deadline for comments on draft digital competition bill till May 15
It has also extended the deadline for submission of comments by stakeholders on the report of Committee on Digital Competition Law (CDCL). The initial deadline is to end on April 15. Earlier, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) had invited comments of stakeholders on the report of CDCL as well as draft digital competition bill under e-consultation module by April 15.
New AI law will guard rights of content creators: experts
Experts hailed the proposed AI law as "timely" given the explosive growth of AI-generated content. This rapid development has the potential to disrupt the publishing industry and raise copyright infringement concerns, they said.
14 years on, the marvel of DPI’s expanding universe
It has been 14 years since the first Aadhaar number was issued, a decade since the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was designed.Ever since, the digital public infrastructure universe has been expanding.
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