US pressures India to grant full market access to Amazon, Walmart
WASHINGTON D.C. : The US government intends to press India to give retail giants Amazon and Walmart expanded access to its $125 billion ecommerce sector as part of ongoing trade negotiations, reported the Financial Times. The Donald Trump administration has been pushing for a ‘more equitable environment’ after the US President put his retaliatory tariffs— including a 26 per cent import duty on Indian products — on hold for 90 days.
Washington is lobbying for fewer restrictions on foreign ecommerce firms in India, advocating for equal treatment in a market where local players currently enjoy greater operational freedom. The US sees India’s ecommerce policies — particularly its restrictions on foreign direct investment and platform ownership — as key obstacles.Top retail executives in play Retail industry leaders, including Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, are reportedly playing a central role in these discussions. McMillon, whose company owns Flipkart, is said to have raised concerns over India’s ecommerce restrictions directly with Trump during private meetings.
McMillon also attended a White House meeting on Monday alongside other retail executives to discuss tariff-related issues, the Finance
Despite Amazon’s ongoing expansion since its 2013 entry into India, it continues to trail Flipkart in daily active users. Bank of America data showed Amazon had under 40 million daily users late last year, compared to Flipkart’s 50 million.
Both nations have set a goal to increase bilateral trade in goods and services to $500 billion — more than twice the existing volume. As part of the bilateral trade agreement, India is considering significant tariff reductions on over half of its $41.8 billion imports from the US.
On Monday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is on a five-day trip to the US, said that India hopes to “positively conclude” the first part of a trade pact with the US by this autumn. She is also scheduled to meet the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and is expected to speak to officials at the US Trade Representative’s office.