India's Federation of All India Distributors Associations (FAIDA), representing FMCG distributors nationwide, has thrown its weight behind a nationwide chemists' strike scheduled for May 20. The move escalates pressure on online pharmacy platforms and signals widening resistance to e-commerce expansion across India's healthcare and FMCG sectors.
The Strike and Support
The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists called the nationwide shutdown to protest unregulated online pharmacies, deep discounting and alleged breaches of drug sale regulations. FAIDA issued a press note on May 14 backing the strike, with National President Ch. Krishna urging the government to take immediate steps to curb online medicine sales, especially life-saving drugs.
Core Grievances
FAIDA alleged that the "uncontrolled growth" of online sales platforms has created unethical trade practices, unhealthy competition, and misleading pricing promises that disrupt the traditional distribution ecosystem. Physical retail outlets operating under regulatory norms and public health standards are struggling to compete with online platforms that allegedly engage in "unfair practices" and operate in an "invisible and unregulated manner".
The distributors' body raised concerns that online platforms create an "illusion" of substantially lower prices while bypassing established legal procedures and prescription-related safeguards. FAIDA also claimed that certain pharmaceutical manufacturers encourage "unhealthy competition" through dual pricing systems, where online platforms allegedly receive preferential pricing compared with traditional retail channels.
Policy Demands
FAIDA called for immediate prohibition of online sales of at least life-saving medicines, stronger checks on prescription-free medicine sales, uniform pricing policies across online and offline channels, and greater regulatory scrutiny of e-pharmacy operations. The association warned manufacturing companies against what it termed "dual games", saying such practices could damage long-term sustainability of the trade ecosystem and affect families dependent on traditional distribution and retail networks.
The association argued that medicines, being a highly regulated and sensitive category linked directly to human health, should not be sold through misleading marketing tactics and aggressive discounting. FAIDA also raised concerns over the promotion of generic substitutes without "adequate transparency", claiming that products of questionable quality are sometimes supplied to consumers.