Reliance Industries has begun enlisting independent retailers on its e-commerce platform, JioMart, as a forerunner to the creation of a separate marketplace for all third-party sellers.

The move is part of Reliance's strategy to prepare for the government's new e-commerce policy, which is expected to prevent marketplace operators from letting connected parties or associated businesses sell on their platforms.

The new platform, with a name yet to be determined, will be branded with the 'Jio' logo, similar to JioMart. After the launch of this new marketplace, JioMart will continue to serve as Reliance Retail's e-commerce arm for all of its own brands and formats.

The proposed platform will concentrate on these categories while also providing larger categories such as clothes and electronics on a marketplace basis.

Word on the street, the government's proposed e-commerce regulation would aim to keep marketplace operators and sellers separate companies.

As a result, Reliance is already planning for such a structure. At the same time, it wants to help other e-commerce retailers or brands go online, so it's creating its own marketplace platform.

According to projections, Reliance would hire around 1,000 internet vendors. They will continue to function on the JioMart platform until the new marketplace is ready and the government makes its policy announcement.

Independent vendors on JioMart are currently selling books, sports items, perfumes, and auto accessories in areas where Reliance Retail does not have a presence.

The Tatas and a few others are known to be against such a requirement, although Reliance is said to promote independent merchants through a separate platform.