Often mistaken for Ponzi schemes, the Rs,7200 crore (approximately USD 1.1 billion) direct selling industry has taken a blow in the absence of clear laws.
Gurgaon resident Harpreet Kaur, 49, completed her MPhil in psychology from Delhi University in 1988. But marriage came in the way before she could begin her professional career. She spent years as a homemaker before her brother-in-law introduced her to Amway’s direct selling business in 1998. Today, she and her husband boast of hundreds of distributors in their network, selling products worth over Rs.1 lakh a month. “There was a time when all I did was wait for my husband, who ran an electronics unit in Delhi, to return home. Today, both of us are entrepreneurs, and have flexible work hours,” says Kaur.
There are six million ‘direct sellers’

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