|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
AICPDF calls for intervention by PMO to suspend Zepto's proposed IPO
|
|
Friday, 12 June, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
|
The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) has called for immediate intervention from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and regulatory bodies to suspend the proposed Initial Public Offering (IPO) of quick-commerce giant Zepto.
The federation termed the news of the upcoming public listing a "Black Day" for traditional Indian retail, and warned that it could trigger a massive economic crisis.
In its appeal to the PMO, SEBI, the Ministry of Finance, and the Competition Commission of India (CCI), AICPDF argued that allowing a heavily loss-making, foreign-funded entity to raise thousands of crores from public markets risks legitimising predatory pricing. The body fears that fresh capital will be used to bankroll aggressive, investor-funded deep discounting rather than sustainable business growth.
"Millions of small retailers feel abandoned," said Dhairyashil Patil, president of AICPDF, adding that the proposed IPO raises serious questions about whether public money will be utilised to intensify below-cost selling, creating irreversible damage to traditional trade.
The federation warned that the unchecked expansion of heavily funded quick-commerce models could cause an "economic bloodbath." Their key concerns include the closure of lakhs of neighbourhood kirana stores, widespread distress among small wholesalers, and massive job losses affecting salesmen, delivery partners, and warehouse staff.
Furthermore, AICPDF highlighted risks to retail investors, demanding total transparency regarding the long-term viability of cash-burn business models. They allege that public markets must not become an exit vehicle for early investors at the public's expense.
The federation demands a full national review of quick-commerce's impact on market competition and employment before any IPO approvals are granted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|