India’s highest court is planning to hear concerns from Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart that claim the country’s antitrust inquiries have been demanding confidential data, Reuters reported on Thursday (July 29), based on documents seen by Reuters but not made public.
Both eCommerce giants requested that the court stop India’s antitrust regulators from seeking information about the firms that are sensitive in nature, according to the filings seen by Reuters.
Flipkart previously told the Supreme Court that the information requested during the investigation was invasive and requested that the entire investigation get pushed to the backburner.
“The information sought … is sensitive in nature,” Flipkart said in the court document, per Reuters. “It is evident that the director-general is determined to take precipitative action.”
Amazon also petitioned the country’s highest court to put an end to the probe, stating that the watchdog asked for a “wealth of sensitive information within a deadline as short as 15 days.”
The requests by Amazon and Flipkart were filed in court documents that were not made public but serve as a demonstration of just how distressed both companies are about the ongoing probe into their operations.
Both eCommerce firms indicated that they felt that the investigation could have an impact on their reputation and goodwill.
The watchdog investigation has triggered public discord between Amazon, Walmart’s Flipkart, and the government body in India, per Reuters.
The probe from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) asked both Amazon and Flipkart 32 questions on July 15 that included a list of their top-selling merchants, discounts and smartphone deals, according to the Reuters report.
Earlier this month, Amazon and Tata Group told Indian government officials in confidence that the toughening mandates for eCommerce could have a damaging effect on their business models. The new rules were introduced on a bill on June 21 as being a benefit to consumers.
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