Good governance for consumer welfare and accountability in the age of digital aggregators: the case of Amazon India

Abstract

With growing instances of deficiency in services in the e-commerce sector in India, this paper discusses the legal aspects with regard to liability, if any, of a digital aggregator operating via a third-party marketplace model. The main objective of the paper is to make policy suggestions that can prevent such aberrations and improve regulation of the sector as a whole. While doing so, the good practices adopted by Amazon India is explained as a case study and emphasised that it is worthwhile to treat digital aggregators as 'agents of e-commerce' than mere intermediaries. The paper envisages that disputes atypical to the sector require newer approaches in the nature of a novel e-adjudicatory system and a consumer regulatory authority having specialised expertise ought to encourage the digital aggregators to take a proactive role in making the online marketplace a reliable and wholesome experience for all stakeholders.