Flipkart's Mukesh Bansal spoke to NDTV after the online marketplace announced that it would pull out of negotiations with telecom giant Airtel for its services on the Airtel Zero platform, in response to the backlash against the violation of net neutrality.
Highlights:
• Our entire DNA is consumer first. We are more than happy to engage in a dialogue with our consumers and listen to them.
• We looked into zero-rating programme deeply and felt in the long term it can violate principles.
• There are lot of precedents of various foreign companies offering services where data is subsidised.
• It took us some time to take the decision but ultimately we took the right decision.
• There is a lot of miscommunication and misinformation there.
• We never supported curbing internet freedom. Considering a policy or programme is not a mistake.
• I think Airtel will have their own considerations. (On the future of Airtel Zero)
• Our decision is based on the principles and values we believe in, and what is in the best interests of our consumers and we will continue to do that.
• Net neutrality is all about democratic, open transparent availability of internet.