A Commerce Ministry official told MediaNama today that there will still be a public consultation for the national e-commerce policy. This comes after a CNBC-TV18 report which said that the e-commerce policy had been dropped. Ramesh Abhishek and Amitabh Kant, Secretary of DIPP and CEO of NITI Aayog respectively, said on Monday that a committee of secretaries had been created to look into e-commerce issues. They both refused to comment specifically on whether there would be a National E-Commerce Policy. "You don't need a policy, actually," Abhishek said. "You can straightaway do the things to be done." Both officials dodged the question of whether there would be a policy after being repeatedly and pointedly asked whether there would be one. Shalini Mahajan, deputy director of TPD and logistics at the Department of Commerce, told MediaNama that a consultation will still be happening after officials finalize which policies can and cannot stay in the draft. Read: Traders' body CAIT wants e-commerce policy before festive season DIPP secretary: Why do we need a policy? This is the transcript of DIPP Secretary Ramesh Abhishek and Amitabh Kant's remarks on the e-commerce policy at a panel discussion on Monday. Abhishek and Kant both evaded pointed questions on whether a policy would be finalized. RAMESH ABHISHEK, Secretary, Department Of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP): We in DIPP are at the forefront of dismantling regulation. We're at the forefront of dismantling complex processes. So we know it too well. Whether e-commerce needs a regulator for proper development of the…
