Missing the Woods for the Tree ?

One dictionary describes this idiom as :

" If someone can't see the wood for the trees, they are unable to understand what is important in a situation because they are giving too much attention to details "

This is the danger facing a 12 member committee of government secretaries ( headed by Shri Amitabh Kant , CEO - NITI Aayog ), appointed to look into :

#  Liberalizing the E-Commerce policy to give a further boost to this sector

#  Rethink of Online Marketplace rules

#  Issues related to Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI )

Economic Times ( 10 Aug, 2016 ) reports :

#  E-Commerce Market in India was $ 17 billion in 2014 and expected to grow to $ 70 billion in 2019

#  E-Commerce Sector suffers from lack of policy clarity

#  Attempts to create a level playing field with Offline Retail has shackled the sector

#  Committee will suggest measures to liberalize the sector

#  Rethink on Online Marketplace rules also likely

#  Committee will review complex regulations

#  Changes in FDI policy will also be suggested

In 1905 , Albert Einstein published " Theory of Special Relativity " and by 1915 , he came out with " General Theory of Relativity "

For him , it was like moving on from a TREE ( Special Theory ) to the WOODS ( General Theory )

Obviously , he did not want to miss out on the larger picture by focusing on a single pixel !

It is no different when it comes to the Laws governing ECONOMY

" E- Commerce and Foreign Direct Investment " are the " Special Theory of ECONOMY " , whereas " Commerce and Investment " are the " General Theory of ECONOMY "

And at this very moment , the Super-Ordinate Goal of our ECONOMY is :

#  Create millions of Self Employed ( 400 million to start with and 12 million per year , thereafter )

E-Commerce and Foreign Direct Investments, are merely " Means to achieve that End " - no more

It was only a few days back when Shri Amitabh Kant said in a TV interview :

" Laws / rules / regulations etc will need constant tweaking / revising , to remain relevant with the advancing technologies

There is no way , the March of Technology can be halted . Laws must catch-up ".

While debating the issues ,the Committee may want to keep in mind how following technologies will change the Commerce Landscape , within the next 2 years :

#  Everything ( Goods and Services ) will be marketed / sold online

#  No business / industry will , solely remain OFFLINE

#  When goods are not being delivered at your doorstep using Drones, your table-top 3D Printers will print out

    all kinds of Consumables ( including Food ! ), by downloading Designs from internet . Houses will be 3D printed

#  Services of all kinds ( Patient-care / Health care / Psychological / Consulting / Coding / Remotely operating

    Devices and Machineries / Teaching / Curating / Controlling Riots etc ) , will be carried out ( hopefully, by

    Indians  if Committee takes the right , far-reaching decisions ), remotely from 10,000 Km away using Virtual

    Reality / Augmented Reality / Holographic Tele-presence / Hepatic gloves etc

#  Entire cycle of Designing / Manufacturing / Marketing / Selling / Order-taking / Delivering / After-sales Servicing

    / Logistics / Collecting Payments / etc , will get spread so thinly across Countries / Continents / Companies /

    Individuals , that it will become next to impossible to keep track of " WHO " is adding " WHAT " value to the

    process , and " WHEN " , and from " WHERE " !  No one will be able to unravel this GORDIAN KNOT !

#  Industrial Robots will play ever-increasing role at each step of this process , connected through IoT

The best that the Committee can recommend is adoption of the following ,

Parekh's , " 3  Laws of E-Commerce Economy " - to be incorporated as 123rd Constitutional Amendment

( with apologies to Isaac Asimov's 3 Laws of Robotics ! ) :

LAW  #  1 :

Asimov :

        A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

Parekh :

 Rules / Regulations of E-Commerce shall not come in the way of unfettered creation of SELF EMPLOYMENT

    

 Any existing Law / Rule / Regulation that hinders a person to become Self Employed, shall be treated as

  

 ultravires

Further , any Law / Regulation of " E-Commerce / FDI " which slows down Investment ( Foreign or Local / Official

or through channeling of BLACK MONEY ), shall be treated as " bad in law " and struck down

LAW  # 2

   

Asimov :

       A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First

       Law.

      Parekh :

      Laws / Regulations governing " E-Commerce / FDI " shall be subservient to Laws / Regulations governing  

   

      " Commerce / Investment " .

      Whenever any Public Authority / Court finds conflict between the two , laws / regulations governing " Commerce/

      Investments " , shall prevail under all circumstances , and in favor of the self employed

     LAW  #  3

   Asimov :   

     A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

    Parekh :

   Laws / Regulations of " E-Commerce / FDI " which get over-ruled under LAW # 2 , shall immediately " Self Destruct "

   in favor of unobstructed progress of TECHNOLOGIAL ADVANCES

   Before drafting its recommendations , the Committee may want to look up my specific suggestions at :

#     In defense of FDI in Defense

 

  
#     Start-Up Eco-Systems / USA vs INDIA

 

#       A NEW ECONOMIC ORDER ? aka " Start Up Act - 2015 " 

 

#      WHO WILL OBSOLETE WHOM ?  

#      In  Wonderland  of  Start Ups

#     Defining E - Commerce

      
#     FDI : By any other name ? 

#     Making India a Tax Haven ? 

 

  
#     E - Commerce is Easy Commerce !  

#      FDI in India Post ? 

#       50Million  New  Jobs in  5  Months ? 

#        Level  Playing Field  ? 

#        3D  Printed Office 

#        Rejoice, You  Self  Employed ! 

#       How  to stop  the  Start Ups ! 

#       Hire  when you  Need :  Fire when  you  don't 

#       Create  Self Employment 

#       Robots, Robots Everywhere , Not a Soul  to  See  !  

#       Age  of Automation  

#      Tech  World turning  Imagination  Real 

#      Second  Industrial Revolution 

#      Back  Factory of  the  World 

#     Competitive  Advantages are  Transient 

#      A  Virtuous Circle 

Dear Committee Members :

Please , overlook  the TREE   /   focus on the WOODS !

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12  August  2016

www.hemenparekh.in / Blogs