e-commerce
Product selling norms tightened for e-commerce sites
MUMBAI: The government of India, in its new set of orders, has listed out new rules for e-commerce services like Amazon, Flipkart, Grofers, and BigBasket to make consumer-experience more satisfactory and secure.
As per the new directives released by Commerce and Industry Ministry, shopping sites are now barred them from selling products of companies in which they have a stake while FSSAI has stepping up scrutiny of food companies, stating that there can be no compromise on last-mile delivery and safety of food products.
“An entity having equity participation by e-commerce marketplace entity or its group companies, or having control on its inventory by e-commerce marketplace entity or its group companies, will not be permitted to sell its products on the platform run by such marketplace entity,” the Ministry mandated in a statement. It has also prohibited e-commerce companies from entering into an agreement for exclusive sale of products.
As per the directives, the e-commerce sites cannot exercise ownership or control over the inventory and can enter into transactions with sellers only on B2B basis.
On the other hand, FSSAI has announced that food products supplied by online portals are now liable to be sampled at any point in the supply chain. Companies will also need to provide an indicative image of the food on their platforms so that consumers can recognise the product. All mandatory information mentioned in the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act will also have to be provided to consumers before purchase and only fresh food should be delivered to consumers. Food should have a remaining shelf life of 30 per cent or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery, the guidelines said.
MUMBAI: From flights to tracks, Cleartrip is now trying to keep every journey on the same ticket. Cleartrip, part of Flipkart, has launched train ticket bookings through a partnership with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, marking its entry into India’s vast rail travel ecosystem.
The integration allows users to search, book and manage train journeys directly within the app, as the company pushes towards becoming a unified, multi-modal travel platform. The move plugs Cleartrip into one of the world’s largest transportation networks, where over 800 million reserved passengers travel annually, alongside a daily footfall of around 23 million across Indian Railways.
The offering includes bookings across routes nationwide, covering General and Tatkal quotas as per Ministry of Railways guidelines. Users can also access real-time seat availability, fare insights, PNR status tracking, berth preferences and digital payment options within a single interface.
The expansion reflects a broader shift in travel platforms from specialising in a single mode to stitching together end-to-end journeys. For Cleartrip, the bet is not just on scale, but on simplifying a system often seen as complex and fragmented.
Company executives said the focus is on embedding predictive intelligence and personalisation into the booking journey, aiming to make everything from discovery to post-booking support faster and more intuitive.
The train booking feature is currently live on the app, with plans to extend it to the web platform soon, signalling a push towards a seamless cross-platform experience.
In a country where railways move billions each year, the next battleground for travel apps may well be decided not in the skies, but on the tracks.
