India’s Enforcement Directorate has filed a complaint seeking penalties of roughly $200 million against Walmart-owned fashion retailer Myntra Designs, alleging the company breached foreign-investment rules that bar foreign-funded wholesalers from selling directly to consumers. Investigators say Myntra declared itself a wholesale operator and drew about $192 million in overseas capital, but then routed virtually all merchandise through an affiliate, Vector E-Commerce, which retailed the goods to end-customers. Under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, sales to related parties cannot exceed 25 percent and direct consumer sales are forbidden. Myntra, acquired by Walmart-controlled Flipkart in 2018, said it has not yet received the complaint but will cooperate and remains committed to compliance. Walmart did not immediately comment. The action extends New Delhi’s wider crackdown on global e-commerce platforms. Amazon, Flipkart and several smartphone vendors have faced separate probes into pricing practices and investment-rule violations as authorities seek to shield domestic retailers in a market forecast to reach $345 billion by 2030.
From Amazon to Walmart, global e-commerce firms face regulatory scrutiny in India https://t.co/T2XqyHbb0J https://t.co/SfUoFoRHI1
India accuses Walmart's Myntra of breaching foreign investment rules https://t.co/7V6RXCck8H https://t.co/7V6RXCck8H
India's financial crime agency said on Wednesday an investigation had found that Walmart's fashion business Myntra Designs breached laws prohibiting foreign wholesalers from selling to consumers. https://t.co/sp0uVuQn7E