Amazon-Mukesh Ambani spat tests India's allure for foreign investors

亚马逊-安巴尼争端，考验印度对外国投资者的吸引力

NEW DELHI: The tussle between two of the world’s richest men -- Jeff Bezos and Mukesh Ambani -- to dominate India’s estimated $1 trillion retail market is testing foreign investor patience with flip-flop court rulings.

新德里：世界上最富有的两个人——杰夫·贝索斯和穆克什·安巴尼——正在争夺印度1万亿美元零售市场的控制权，反复无常的法庭裁决考验着外国投资者的耐心。

This week saw new developments in Amazon.com Inc’s legal battle to block Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd from acquiring Future Retail Ltd’s assets, in what would be the country’s largest retail-sector deal. Last week, a single judge at a high court in New Delhi restrained Future Group firms from selling their assets. On Monday, a set of judges at the court overruled that decision. Amazon can appeal the latest ruling in the Supreme Court.

本周，亚马逊阻止安巴尼旗下信实工业收购未来零售有限公司(Future Retail Ltd .)资产的法律诉讼有了新进展，这笔收购将是印度零售业最大的一笔交易。上周，新德里高等法院的一名法官限制未来集团出售资产。周一，最高法院的几名法官推番了这一裁决。亚马逊可向最高法院上诉。

The keenly watched case may set an important legal precedent for investors on whether emergency decisions by foreign arbitrators are valid in India. Amazon had petitioned Indian courts with an order from an emergency arbitration court in Singapore that barred Future Retail from making a deal with Reliance.

这起受到密切关注的案件可能会为投资者树立一个重要的法律先例，让他们知道外国仲裁员的裁决在印度是否有效。亚马逊曾向印度法院申请，要求新加坡一家紧急仲裁法庭下令禁止未来零售公司与信实集团达成交易。

It could also help overseas investors judge the validity of agreements in India, which the World Bank has ranked among the bottom 15% of countries in terms of enforcing contracts, worse than Venezuela, Syria and Senegal.

此案还可以帮助海外投资者判断印度协议的有效性。世界银行将印度列为合同执行情况最差的15%的国家之一，比委内瑞拉、叙利亚和塞内加尔还要糟糕。

“Not giving effect to a foreign arbitration award undermines India’s already floundering reputation as a good place to invest and do business in,” said Bharat Chugh, a former civil judge in Delhi and now a lawyer practicing in India’s top court. Speedy enforcement of contracts and foreign arbitration rulings are important for overseas investors when assessing the attractiveness of an investment destination, he said.

新德里前民事法官、目前在印度最高法院执业的律师Bharat Chugh表示：“不让外国仲裁裁决生效，会损害印度作为投资经商便利之地的声誉，印度的声誉本就已经岌岌可危。”他说，在评估一个投资目的地的吸引力时，迅速执行合同和外国仲裁裁决对海外投资者来说很重要。

Spokespeople at Reliance Industries, Amazon’s local unit and Future Group weren’t able to comment immediately on the latest ruling. Future Retail’s lawyers have argued in court that the deal is their only chance to avoid bankruptcy and save jobs.

信实工业、亚马逊印度子公司和未来集团的发言人未能立即对最新裁决发表评论。未来零售的律师在法庭上辩称，该交易是他们避免破产和保住就业岗位的唯一机会。

印度时报读者的评论：译者：Jessica.Wu

Coolguy withlove

A$$h0le Ambani wants everything in the world and is not sparing even the poor farmers

安巴尼什么都想要，连贫穷的农民也不放过

Robert Dsouza

Yah, As if foreign investor will spare farmers...nothng but will make Indians slave again.

难道外国投资者会放过农民？他们只会让印度人再次成为奴隶。

krish

Does this anti Indian bustard George Soros have any stake in Amazon.

反印度的混蛋乔治·索罗斯在亚马逊有股份吗?

Sandeep Kumar

Everyone is hell bent on destroying India !! As if they dont have any other work to do..

每个人都想毁了印度!!

好像他们没有别的事情要做一样。

Ravindra Bhavsar

The keenly watched case may set an important legal precedent for investors on whether emergency decisions by foreign arbitrators are valid in India

这起受到密切关注的案件可能会为投资者树立一个重要的法律先例，让他们知道外国仲裁员的裁决在印度是否有效。

Mohan Kovai

Foreign arbitration orders are valid if both parties agree beforehand.Unilaterally approaching foreign arbitrator and trying g to enforce an order is not permissable.

外国仲裁在双方当事人事先同意的情况下有效。单方面接洽外国仲裁员并试图强制执行命令是不允许的。

Sreeram Veeraraghavan

Amazon is in breach of FDI/FEMA laws if it claims it wants to control what FRL does. Amazon's e-commerce licence must be cancelled.

如果亚马逊想要控制未来集团的行为，那么它就违反了外国直接投资法的规定。必须取消亚马逊的电子商务许可证。

Om Namah Shivayah

Relaiance and Ambanis r synonymous to corruption....Richest guys of India, but have done not even a pinch for nation but their greed is limitless.

信实和安巴尼是腐 败的代名词....他是印度首富，但没有为国家做任何贡献，他的贪婪是无止境的。

Sreeram Veeraraghavan

Amazon is acting like a psychopath. Their hunger for power at the cost of India lives cannot be tolerated. Intention of Amazon is Malafide

亚马逊就像个神经病。他们以牺牲印度人为代价来获取利益，这是无法容忍的。亚马逊不怀好意

N Srinivas

Before spewing venom on Amazon, please understand the article. It's about the larger issue of stability of laws/ taxation in India and the enforceability of orders of foreign tribunals which matter to foreign investors.

在吐槽亚马逊之前，请先理解这篇文章。这关乎印度法律/税收的稳定性，以及外国法庭命令的可执行性等问题的，这些对外国投资者来说至关重要。

Sreeram Veeraraghavan

The High Court Bench is absolutely right. Now they want to kill Future Retail. They are not interested in a deal as the High Court Bench observed - they just want to kill Future Retail. The Emergency Arbitrator was compromised - possibly a Green Card sponsorship for his son or daughter by Amazon ?

高等法院的裁决是绝对正确的。现在他们想扼杀未来零售。正如高等法院法官所观察到的那样，他们对交易不感兴趣——他们只是想扼杀未来零售。

Pais Hilary

You have no place in the current world commerce, if you do not abide by international arbitration awards. It does not matter who you are.

如果你们不遵守国际仲裁裁决，你们在当前的世界贸易中就没有一席之地，不管你是谁。

Ashish Thakur

Modi is paying the legal fees out of tax payers money to support Ambanis ventures.. He has raised the price of petrol so that Ambani can make maxmum profit...

莫迪用纳税人的钱支付律师费，帮助安巴尼的企业打官司。他提高了汽油价格，这样安巴尼就能获得最大利润。

Sarat Pattanayak

Foreign investors’ confidence in contract enforceability in our country is on the cusp of a serious crisis. In developed countries, legal contracts are self-evidently sacrosanct.

外国投资者对合同在印度的可执行性的信心正处于一场严重危机的边缘。在发达国家，法律合同是神圣不可侵犯的。

Ajay Bakshi

Don't worry we will still have enough investments because it's the largest market ..

别担心，印度市场是最大的，有的是外国投资。

Ajay Baksh

Reliance pays more tax to the country than 8 states together.

信实交的税比8个邦加起来还多。

Uday Panchpor

We need to keep Amazon away from India. Their intentions are not noble.

让亚马逊远离印度，他们图谋不轨。

Anti Fascist

reputation of Indians at stake because of some gujjus!

就因为一些古吉拉特人，印度人的名誉岌岌可危!