Direct sellers must have at least one physical location as their registered office within the country and make a declaration that they are not involved in any pyramid scheme or money circulation scheme, as per the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules, 2021 notified by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
“These new rules would bring clarity in the marketplace and give impetus to the industry,” Rajat Banerji, chairman of self-regulatory industry body Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA), told ET.
The sector provides livelihood to more than seven million in the country of which over 50% are women, he said. Banerji said the IDSA has been working with the government for the past two years to provide inputs on the policy.
The rules bring under its ambit both direct sellers and direct selling entities using ecommerce platforms for sale.
Time for Compliance
“Existing direct selling entities need to comply with these rules within 90 days,” the notification said.
Direct-selling companies follow a model of selling to consumers through distributors and network or multi-level marketing (MLM), instead of through traditional retail channels.
According to the new rules,…
