Tatas objecting to consumer benefit laws hurts: Piyush Goyal

Consumer affairs minister Piyush Goyal said industry should introspect its commitment to India, asking if it would buy an MSME product priced slightly higher than that of a foreign company.

“What is our commitment towards India, we need to introspect that,” Goyal said at CII’s annual session, adding that Indian industry needs to think about each other as well. Before talking of government-industry synergy, CII, Assocham, Ficci and PHD Chamber need to create synergy.

“When I see Tata Sons that they are objecting for some consumer benefit laws or regulations that I am bringing in, then frankly it hurts. After buying a few foreign companies, that becomes more important than national good,” he said. “Me, myself, my company, we need to move forward from that,” he said, adding the government hasn’t stopped the Tatas from selling steel to Korea and Japan.


There is a nationalistic spirit in those countries, he added.

Goyal said he had told the same to Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran.

Banmali Agrawala, president, infrastructure, defence and aerospace at Tata Sons, was present at the virtual meeting on Thursday.

The Tata Group has, according to reports, raised concerns over the proposed Consumer Protection Rules for ecommerce.