ECOMMERCE OPERATORS KARNATAKA
Soaring tech costs push festive shoppers towards EMIs
At Bengaluru-based Pai International Electronics, which operates across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, 70-80% of smartphone sales during the festive season were financed through EMIs, up from 40-50% last year, said director Rahul Pai. At Vijay Sales, which operates 181 stores nationwide, EMIs accounted for about 70-75% of festive-season sales.
Rising tech costs drive EMI sales; Shadowfax Q2 profit soars
Happy Friday! Shoppers are turning to EMIs as electronics prices rise. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
IKEA to open new city centre store in Bengaluru next month, expanding urban presence
IKEA is set to open a new city centre store in Bengaluru next month, which will enhance accessibility. The upcoming store will feature an 80,000 square feet retail area with over 5,200 products available. This expansion follows the success of IKEA's large-format store opened in June 2022 in Nagasandra. IKEA aims to cater to evolving customer needs by providing a smaller urban outlet.
Amazon, Flipkart's multi-front war; India set for more GCCs
Happy Wednesday! Amazon and Flipkart have broadened their bets as quick commerce platforms chip away at their share of user base. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Karnataka to push for tighter regulation of online medicine sales: Health minister Khader
Karnataka is set to enhance regulations on online medicine sales following alarming violations of safety norms. Recent warehouse inspections revealed expired and mislabelled products. Minister UT Khader plans to address enforcement challenges with union ministers and is considering a national symposium to gather recommendations from key stakeholders. The emphasis is on bolstering consumer protection and tightening enforcement measures for safer online transactions.
Platforms, IAMAI move Karnataka HC against gig workers welfare law
The petitions come after the state government did not respond to IAMAI's request to defer the levy of the gig workers' welfare fee until the Centre and the state evolve a mechanism to offset contributions under their respective laws, and notify specific welfare schemes for gig workers.
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IAMAI urges Karnataka to defer gig worker welfare fee on ecomm firms till specifics are defined
Per the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security & Welfare) Act, 2025, ecommerce operators are required to pay 1% of their commission, subject to a cap, to fund gig workers’ welfare.
Amazon’s second-largest office in Asia opens in Bengaluru
The 1.1 million square feet campus, which is the company’s headquarters, will support over 7,000 employees across ecommerce, operations, payments, technology, and seller services.
Aggregators to pay 1% of commission for gig workers’ welfare in Karnataka
The fee, capped at 50 paise, 75 paise, and Re 1, depending on the business models of the platform, is expected to raise Rs 250-300 crore annually. It will benefit about five lakh gig workers across Karnataka, including 2.75 lakh in Bengaluru, working in ride-hailing, ecommerce, and food delivery.
GST on ride-hailing: Karnataka AAR says may recall ruling on Namma Yatri
This follows Bengaluru-based Juspay hiving off the cab-hailing business to a subsidiary, Moving Tech Innovations. The AAR said the company seems to have acquired Namma Yatri as a “going concern” by suppressing/misrepresenting material facts. However, experts termed the move as rare and a clumsy effort to negate a business-friendly provision provided by Parliament.
Ecommerce firms should respect law of land: Piyush Goyal
Recently Piyush Goyal had stated that some ecommerce firms were violating foreign direct investment norms and follow unfair pricing. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) too had claimed the violation of the same which hurt small businesses.
GST on rides: CBIC gives a week’s time to ecommerce firms to give views, promises clarification
A three-member team led by CBIC chairman Sanjay Kumar Agarwal met with representatives from the app-based transportation companies at North Block in Delhi and listened to them for about 90 minutes.
Uber effect: CBIC to meet with ecommerce operators on Monday to resolve GST on rides
The meeting comes in the wake of a September 25 direction from the Karnataka High Court to the CBIC to decide on Uber India’s representations on the issue after hearing all stakeholders in six weeks.
Rapido liable to pay GST for cab services: Karnataka AAR
The Bengaluru-based company is evaluating challenging the ruling, which opens it up to previous tax dues. Rapido, which originally started as a bike taxi platform, had launched its four-wheeler cab services across cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Hyderabad on the subscription model.
JSW Group set to invest ₹250 crore in ecommerce store
The company has begun the roll-out of the ecommerce business in Tamil Nadu. It will operate two different technology platforms, servicing the requirements of customers in the business and consumer segments.
‘Karnataka can promote ecommerce to aid MSME units in rural areas’
The report suggests that the government facilitate interactions between MSMEs and ecommerce players so that smaller units get a digital footprint and eventually expand into global markets.
Karnataka report pitches for faster approvals to ecommerce biz
The report, prepared by the Institute for Competitiveness and Primus Partners, a consultancy, is an elaborate study across the emerging sectors. It favours a toll-free number to address the grievances of ecommerce businesses.
Ecommerce, food delivery firms face hurdles in TN, Karnataka, Telangana
The three southern states have implemented varying degrees of restrictions to break the chain of rampaging infections
Maharashtra urged to reconsider curbs on goods carrier entry
Assam has exempted ecommerce operators and their delivery staff from curbs
Ecommerce firms allow sale of non-essential goods amid lack of clarity
States including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Haryana, which have restricted activities to halt the spread of Covid-19, have allowed online retailers to ship only essential items
Karnataka allows ecommerce delivery of only essential items on weekends
Companies are still not sure what in the government's opinion constitutes 'essentials' and 'non-essentials'
As govt eases lockdown norms, e-commerce ready to load cart with ‘non-essentials’
Amazon, baby products retailer Firstcry and beauty portal Nykaa were among those which began full-fledged operations on Monday, following the Centre’s directives aimed at unshackling the economy in the fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of Covid-19.
Karnataka to decide soon on full ecommerce services
Karnataka has allowed ecommerce delivery of essential items, and ecommerce players want to start delivering non-essential items as well. Executives from the sector reached out to the state government seeking clarity on the formalities to be completed to resume fullfledged operations after April 20, according to a source in the government.
GST policy on e-commerce may make life difficult for cab startups: Experts
Sections of GST experts believe the GST policy requiring aggregators to pay GST on fares collected by cab drivers will hurt startups
Delhi government tells ecommerce companies to file returns by month end
The Delhi government has given time till November end for ecommerce companies to start filing mandatory quarterly returns.
Government likely to clarify confusion over tax norms for e-commerce companies
The government is likely to issue a clarification to end the confusion over ecommerce companies that operate marketplaces, so that states do not impose taxes on them.
Amazon urges government to allow 49% FDI in e-tailers selling directly to consumers
It has asked the Centre to amend the law on VAT to overcome clashes with local tax authorities that have dogged its operations in Karnataka.
Delivery companies in E-commerce space face hidden tax heat
Even as Amazon, which offers an online platform linking sellers and consumers in India, grapples with demands from tax authorities in Karnataka.
Taxman questions Amazon India’s fulfilment centre
This development highlights the dissonance between prevailing tax norms and the demands of growth in India’s fast paced online retail industry.
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