E-comm platforms under govt watch, price hikes flagged for certain items, Pg15.

Key Highlights:

• E-commerce platforms like Flipkart, Amazon, Blinkit, and Zepto are under government scrutiny for potential price increases despite GST 2.0 rate cuts effective September 22, 2025.
• The government has sent queries to e-commerce platforms following public complaints about price hikes on certain items after the GST rate reduction.
• Flipkart stated it enabled sellers to pass on over ₹200 crore of GST benefits to customers during early festive sales.
• The Revenue Department requested commodity-wise price data on 54 product categories pre- and post- September 22, 2025, to monitor price changes.

Detailed Insights:

• The government is closely monitoring price changes of common-use items on e-commerce platforms to ensure GST rate reductions are passed on to consumers.
• One e-commerce company reported a technical glitch causing higher prices in a category, which was flagged by the government and subsequently fixed.
• The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) will receive monthly price change reports from field offices for the next six months.
• While most items have seen price reductions, some are yet to reflect commensurate reductions due to unsold stock and transition-related issues for smaller retailers.
• The National Consumer Helpline has received approximately 3,000 complaints related to GST, indicating ongoing concerns about pricing and implementation.
• Although an anti-profiteering provision existed initially under the GST law, it was removed with the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) handling cases until April 1, 2025.

Key Concepts Involved:

• GST (Goods and Services Tax): An indirect tax levied on the supply of goods and services.
• Anti-profiteering: Measures to prevent businesses from unfairly increasing prices after a tax reduction.
• CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs): The apex body for indirect taxes administration in India.