iWorld
Draft National e-Commerce Policy: Why international OTT platforms need not worry just yet
MUMBAI: The national e-commerce policy draft appears to have created quite a stir in India's OTT business. In its current form, the proposed policy is bound to pose a regulatory hurdle to international streaming giants, some say. Despite the clear distinction in the dynamics of OTT and e-commerce sector, the policy appears to bring the former under its ambit. That has given rise to speculation over the future of popular OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hotstar.
At the heart of the problem is the way e-commerce has been defined in the ‘Draft National e-Commerce Policy’ by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The draft says, e-commerce is “buying, selling, marketing or distribution of goods, including digital products and services; through electronic network". Notably, it also refers to the FDI policy in e-commerce which restricts platforms with foreign direct investment to “exercise ownership or control over the inventory sold” on it. This poses a threat to Netflix Originals, Amazon Prime Video Originals and Hotstar Specials, argue some.
The situation, however, isn't as dire as it is being made out to be.
Given the obvious dissimilarities between the two services, there is a need to craft a separate policy for OTT platforms, if at all. Content consumption and buying products online doesn't make for a fair comparison. When it comes to OTT apps, there is no fixed delivery period unlike an e-commerce platform. OTT platforms cannot swap the inventory model of business with an instant delivery model.
While subscription based video-on-demand services carry out transactions, they don’t provide an option for permanent download of digital goods that could be regarded as a replacement of physical goods. Unlike e-commerce companies, OTT apps also don’t connect companies while providing content to subscribers.
Policies of this nature don’t get finalised without struggle in the Indian regulatory system. The authority itself will go through multiple layers of discussions before sending off the final draft. In addition to that, stakeholders also have a fair chance to argue against what they'd like to believe are the flaws in the draft. The upcoming Lok Sabha election will also offer a breather to stakeholders when it comes to any potential forward movement on the bill. Industry sources Indiantelevision.com spoke to claim there is a good chance we may not see a final policy even before 2020.
According to legal experts, the intent of the policy is good for small retailers in the country. But bringing digital services and data storage issues along with e-commerce platforms will cause more ambiguities for the entire digital economy. Moreover, lack of clarity on how the implementation will happen is being highlighted as a major problem of this draft. They have also pointed out the need for open house discussions to address some of these issues.
However, it is certain that if the draft in current form becomes the law of the land, international OTT players will be left with no option than to adopt a marketplace model. That, however, would make little sense, as it would force them to showcase their content on other OTT platforms, as per the definition of what constitutes e-commerce. The micromanagement of ownership and control over content will only harm the industry, which is still at a nascent stage of growth.
While there is a perspective that the proposed policy will help homegrown OTT players, there is also a danger that a less competitive market may lead to fall in quality content. Along with the emergence of homegrown players, the localisation strategy of international OTT players has driven the growth of demand for original conten. Depriving Indian viewers of international shows and original programming may also reduce their enthusiasm for streaming platforms overall.
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
