FRAI flags illicit trade surge, demands curbs on e-commerce deep discounting

At a Guwahati seminar, the Federation of All India Retailer Associations urged regulators to rein in counterfeits, predatory pricing and deep discounting by e-commerce and quick commerce platforms, citing threats to 1 lakh retailers and 5 lakh retailer families dependent on kirana trade.

— Source publishedWed, 10 Jun, 2026, 18:43 IST·First seen Wed, 10 Jun, 2026, 18:59 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

FRAI raised concerns at a Guwahati seminar over illicit trade, counterfeits, predatory pricing and deep discounting by e-commerce and quick commerce platforms,

Key facts

  • 1 lakh retailers
  • 5 lakh retailer families

Why this matters

FRAI's push for a level playing field signals an opening for partnership or roll-up plays with kirana networks, hedging platform exposure against tighter rules on counterfeits and predatory pricing.