Explained: New draft e-commerce guidelines

The Central Government has rolled out draft guidelines for e-commerce platforms to make them more accountable. The draft guidelines, titled ‘E-commerce—Principles and Guidelines for Self Governance’, have been prepared taking into consideration the interests of not only the consumer but also other stakeholders involved in the e-commerce business. The framework introduces three-phase principles covering pre-transaction, contract formation and post-transaction stages for e-commerce operations.