Advertising
Co-lead or crown? Tussle for Omnicom–IPG leadership race in India heats up
Govt cracks down on ecomm platforms over sale of Pakistani flags; CCPA issues notices
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, confirmed the action on social media platform X.
E-commerce platforms (EPOMs), FATF warned, are increasingly being used not just to buy materials, but to sell goods to generate revenue from low-cost items to merchandise pushing extremist ideologies. The trade-based laundering model involves terrorists buying and shipping products via EPOMs, which are then resold abroad to generate funds.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued formal notices to leading e-commerce platforms including Amazon India, Flipkart, Ubuy India, Etsy, The Flag Company and The Flag Corporation for allegedly selling Pakistani flags and related merchandise.
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, confirmed the action on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “The CCPA has issued notices to @amazonIN, @Flipkart, @UbuyIndia, @Etsy, The Flag Company and The Flag Corporation over the sale of Pakistani flags and related merchandise. Such insensitivity will not be tolerated.”
The CCPA has issued notices to @amazonIN, @Flipkart, @UbuyIndia, @Etsy, The Flag Company and The Flag Corporation over the sale of Pakistani flags and related merchandise. Such insensitivity will not be tolerated.
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) May 14, 2025
E-commerce platforms are hereby directed to immediately remove all… pic.twitter.com/03Q4FOxwCX
The Ministry has directed these platforms to immediately remove all such listings and ensure strict compliance with Indian laws and regulations concerning national symbols and foreign merchandise.
The enforcement action comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, which was a direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.
Earlier this week, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) wrote to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, demanding a ban on the online sale of Pakistani flags and any items bearing Pakistan’s national symbols. The traders’ body called the availability of such items insulting and unacceptable.
The CCPA is expected to monitor the compliance status over the coming days. Meanwhile, the issue is likely to feature in upcoming discussions between government stakeholders and digital commerce platforms, especially amid ongoing efforts to tighten e-commerce regulations in India.
SPOTLIGHT
According to LinkedIn’s research with over 1,700 B2B tech buyers, video storytelling has emerged as the most trusted, engaging, and effective format for B2B marketers. But what’s driving this shift towards video in B2B? (Image Source: Unsplash)
Read MoreArattai App: All you need to know about Zoho’s made-in-India "WhatsApp killer"
Discover Arattai, Zoho’s made-in-India messaging app. Features, privacy, user growth, and how it compares to WhatsApp in 2025.