India has allowed foreign direct investment in consumer-facing ecommerce for the first time, but only for export operations. This marks a major win for Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart, which have long sought permission to hold inventory. The policy change permits foreign-owned platforms to purchase, store, and export Indian products directly from their own stock, though domestic sales remain prohibited.

The government hopes this will attract foreign exchange as the rupee hovers near record lows at Rs96.73 to the dollar, and help Indian brands replicate the global success of Chinese labels like Shein. Critics warn the export-only distinction is difficult to enforce and could lead to eventual domestic market opening. The move coincides with India-US trade negotiations, suggesting it may be a bargaining chip.

Separately, the Delhi High Court ruled that OpenAI's use of ANI's content for training ChatGPT does not constitute copyright infringement, classifying it as private research. The interim order, the first in India to address AI training under the 1957 Copyright Act, leaves publishers without opt-out mechanisms while the government drafts new legislation.