E-commerce policy likely to be released next year: report

The proposed e-commerce policy, aimed at streamlining and regulating the digital businesses, is unlikely to take shape this year, Business Standard reported.

The government is likely to chalk up a fresh plan after being heavily criticised by traders' bodies and e-commerce companies such as Paytm and MakeMyTrip.

"With dates not yet being set for a new set of stakeholder discussions, and general elections around the corner, the final policy may be out only after formation of the new government," sources told the newspaper.

This comes after DIPP secretary Ramesh Abhishek told CNBC-TV18 that the e-commerce policy had been dropped.

“The committee of secretaries are working on implementing a number of issues that will help the e-commerce sector. Then why do you need a policy if you have identified the things that need to be done, you can just go ahead and do it,” Abhishek told CNBC-TV18 on September 17.