Supporting data for "Competition Dysfunction: Unravelling Structural Competition Problems and Reconstructing Lost Competition in the Indian Digital Landscape".

This empirical study is qualitative in nature. It consists of personal interviews of four different target groups/stakeholders i.e., consumers, third-party sellers, start-ups, and Competition Commission of India 'CCI' officials. The target groups were interviewed about their understanding of competitiveness of e-commerce segment in India with the objective to identify if statutorily non-dominant e-commerce platforms act as gatekeepers and needs to be regulated. More specifically, the objective is to identify if underneath the appearance of statutorily non-dominant structure of e-commerce platforms lie a new dimension of market power that suggests a deeper problem, perhaps even a more alarming form of concentration of power which requires antitrust intervention.<b>Adherence to legal and ethical requirements: </b>Prior to undertaking this empirical research, the approval of Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) was obtained. Thus, the data collection is in compliance of legal and ethical requirements.<b>Methodology and techniques of data collection: </b>Structured interview was chosen as the most appropriate means of data collection. This format allowed for more considered and reflective responses due to technicality of questions<b>. </b>Purposive sampling, networked introductions, and the snowball method were used. For instance, third party sellers and start-ups were chosen via networked introductions and snowball method. The consumers were chosen through purposive sampling method. CCI officials were chosen via purposive sampling method.Following supporting data files have been submitted:Questionnaire: Four different sets of questionnaires have been submitted which corresponds to separate sets of respondents i.e., consumers, start-ups, third-party sellers and CCI officials. Broadly, the objective is to learn the understanding of different respondents about the competitiveness of e-commerce segment in India and to identify if few e-commerce platforms are increasingly becoming ‘systemic’ digital gatekeepers by controlling access to the market for users even below the point of dominance. Audio recordings of interviews: It contains the audio recording of the interview of the respondents, wherever available.Summary document: It contains summary details of the respondents which include type of respondent, occupation of respondent, mode of interview, date of interview, duration of interview.<br>

本实证研究为质性研究，包含对四类目标群体/利益相关者的个人访谈，即消费者、第三方卖家、初创企业及印度竞争委员会（CCI）官员。研究针对印度电商领域的竞争力认知对目标群体展开访谈，旨在探究法定非主导性电商平台是否扮演守门人角色且需加以监管。更具体而言，研究旨在揭示：电商平台法定非主导性结构的表象之下，是否潜藏着市场权力的新维度——这一维度指向更深层的问题，甚至可能是更令人担忧的权力集中形式，亟需反垄断干预。<b>法律与伦理要求遵循：</b>开展本实证研究前，已获得人类研究伦理委员会（Human Research Ethics Committee, HREC）的批准。因此，数据收集符合法律与伦理要求。<b>数据收集方法与技术：</b>结构化访谈被选为最适宜的数据收集方式。鉴于问题的技术性，该形式可促使受访者作出更审慎、更具反思性的回应。研究采用目的抽样、网络引荐及滚雪球法：第三方卖家与初创企业通过网络引荐及滚雪球法选取，消费者与CCI官员则采用目的抽样法选取。研究提交的支持性数据文件如下：问卷：包含四套分别对应不同受访者群体（消费者、初创企业、第三方卖家及CCI官员）的问卷，旨在了解不同受访者对印度电商领域竞争力的认知，并探究少数电商平台是否通过控制用户的市场准入（即便未达主导地位），日益成为‘系统性’数字守门人；访谈录音：包含可获取的受访者访谈录音；摘要文档：包含受访者的摘要信息，如受访者类型、职业、访谈方式、访谈日期及时长。