Nationalize MNCs like Amazon to protect Indian interests: Cong leader submits proposal to Govt
Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader and former KPCC Secretary, S Mohanadass Hegde, has submitted a detailed strategic policy proposal to the Government of India, urging immediate steps to either nationalize or strictly regulate multinational corporations (MNCs) such as Amazon and other Fortune 500 companies operating in India. The proposal highlights serious concerns over consumer rights, data privacy, economic manipulation, and digital sovereignty.
Hegde has argued that India’s digital and financial autonomy is under threat due to unchecked corporate practices by global tech and e-commerce giants. Drawing inspiration from India’s history of nationalizing key sectors like insurance, banking, and telecom, Hegde proposes a similar framework for handling MNCs that influence financial flows and consumer behavior in the country.
Key Issues Highlighted in the Proposal:
1. Amazon Pay Balance and Consumer Deprivation
The policy document flags Amazon Pay as a “hoax,” alleging that unrefunded balances—estimated to exceed ₹1,000 crore—are locked within the platform. According to Hegde, these funds can only be spent at select partners such as Tata 1mg, BigBasket, Ola, and Rapido, severely limiting the purchasing freedom of Indian consumers.
“Even if just one crore Indians have an average of ₹1,000 stuck in Amazon Pay, that amounts to ₹1,000 crore being retained by a private entity for speculative financial activity,” the proposal notes. Hegde adds that this directly affects India’s GDP, consumer dignity, and tax revenue. He also cited individual cases, including one where a buyer reportedly has ₹22,000 locked as a “gift balance” with Amazon for years.
2. Privacy Violations and Lack of Constitutional Oversight
Hegde warns that employees of MNCs in India are not bound by constitutional obligations towards Indian citizens. Instead, they follow internal corporate policies which often lead to:
Unseen notes and markings on customer profiles
Targeted digital advertising based on private data
Snooping on mobile apps and usage behavior
He alleges that such practices amount to criminal breaches of privacy, especially dangerous when it involves sensitive information from government employees and national institutions. He also draws parallels with India's action against WhatsApp post-mob lynching incidents, calling for a similar “zero-invasion policy” against companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta.
3. Need for a Unified National Digital Regulator
The proposal urges the creation of a Single National Digital Consumer Regulator to:
Mandate automatic refunds of unused wallet balances to user bank accounts
Enforce a blanket ban on subliminal advertising and product suggestions
Introduce a Consumer Data Protection Code rooted in Indian constitutional values
4. Indigenization of Corporate Practices
Hegde stresses that India must stop blindly adopting Western consumer models. He says corporate strategies must be aligned with India’s cultural, economic, and social priorities. As part of this indigenization drive, he has called for the rejection of harmful external practices such as:
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Low-quality animal feed in dairy industry, imported from Western systems
Revisiting the Idea of Nationalization
The document points out that if companies like LIC, Indian Oil, and BSNL could be nationalized for public good, there is no reason why India cannot consider doing the same with foreign digital giants. Hegde says nationalization will:
Protect consumer rights
Increase transparency in governance
Help combat black money and hawala networks
Enable centralized auditing, quality control, and regulation
He proposes that all national procurement and government-linked services should function under a single brand with one audit system to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
Call for National Dialogue
Inspired by the article “The Big Idea” published on the website inthesetimes.com, the proposal concludes with a patriotic appeal to the central government to consider the document as part of a larger national conversation on Digital Sovereignty, Economic Justice, and Consumer Protection.
Hegde has requested that relevant ministries be directed to evaluate the concerns raised and initiate multi-stakeholder consultations.
“India is a unique democracy. Everything applicable to the home countries of multinational companies cannot be implemented here at their will. We need our own ethical capitalism rooted in Indian values,” he states in the concluding note.
What the Proposal Demands:
Refund of unutilized Amazon Pay balances to bank accounts
Zero digital surveillance and advertisement policies
A new Consumer Data Protection Code
Creation of a central regulator for digital consumer services
Long-term vision to nationalize or strictly regulate MNCs
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
