Retail and E-commerce

The retail industry has undergone a revolutionary transformation in the last two decades. Driven by liberalisation and technological innovations, the sector has seen a major shift from physical stores to e-commerce platforms, changing the way business is conducted globally.

Transformation of the Retail Sector

Governments are bolstering the retail and e-commerce sectors with policies and incentives. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) was introduced to give small and medium players equal footing. Factors like a massive population, budding brands and growth strategies like discounts, reduced delivery time, digital payments and easy returns have made India one of the fastest-growing markets. The industry caters to a vast array of consumer segments in different operational environments, presenting opportunities and challenges from a complex regulatory landscape.

Our Retail & E-commerce Expertise

With a dedicated team that understands technology laws and a deep understanding of the industry, we assist our clients at every step of their growth cycle. Our expertise extends across all facets of the industry, from navigating complex cross-border investments to ensuring compliance with data privacy laws and consumer protection rules. We have advised a wide range of stakeholders in this sector, including

Private Equity Holders
Venture Capitalists
E-commerce Start-ups
Distributors and Retailers

How We Support the Retail & E-commerce Industry

M&A and Restructuring

We assist e-commerce, retail chains and startups with high-stakes mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. This includes advisory on cross-border transactions and helping them navigate FEMA related compliances.

Advisory and Compliance

We provide advice on regulatory compliance, e-commerce laws, consumer protection, product liability, advertising norms, data protection laws, including GDPR, PDP and other regulations.

Intellectual Property Protection

We offer trademark registration to protect brand names, patent registration for novel processes and products, and litigation support to guard against IPR infringement.

Cross-border Investments

We advise on FDI compliance, joint ventures, strategic partnerships and cross-border tax planning for retail and e-commerce ventures

Contract Management

We draft and review a wide range of contracts and policies, such as vendor agreements, logistics and supply chain contracts, SaaS agreements, marketing agreements, terms of service and privacy policies.

Tax Structuring

We help plan tax-efficient structures that cover GST, customs duties, transfer pricing and cross-border indirect tax implications.

Dispute Resolution

We offer litigation and dispute resolution support to resolve conflicts arising from vendor agreements, supply chain issues service-level agreements and various other issues.

Technology Law

We advise on software licensing, technology transfers, digital payment security, and compliance with app store regulations, user data protection laws and customer consent requirements.

Supply Chain & Logistics

Our team assists with drafting and negotiating vendor agreements, warehousing contracts, last-mile delivery arrangements and risk allocation in distribution networks.