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New E-Commerce Rules to Strengthen Consumer Protection
Confirmed
In Short: Amended e-commerce rules, effective January 2027, aim to address consumer concerns and improve transparency, according to government officials.
Amended e-commerce rules, set to take effect on January 1, 2027, are designed to strengthen consumer protection and curb dark patterns on online marketplaces, according to the consumer affairs department. These changes, which will replace the existing 2020 framework, introduce tighter requirements around consumer grievances, sponsored listings, search results, price disclosures, and the use of consumer data.
Sponsored listings will now be clearly marked, enabling consumers to distinguish between paid placements and organic search results. E-commerce platforms will also be required to display both the reduced price and the prior price whenever a price reduction is announced. The new rules also bar online marketplaces from manipulating search results in a way that could mislead consumers or reduce the relevance of results to their search queries.
More than 5.1 lakh complaints were registered against e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms on the National Consumer Helpline in 2025, according to government data. The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, are expected to improve transparency in the handling of consumer disputes and help resolve grievances more quickly and amicably through the convergence mechanism with the National Consumer Helpline.
Consumer affairs secretary Nidhi Khare told Hindustan Times that the sector has changed dramatically since the parent law was enacted in 2019, and most complaints received were related to e-commerce. She noted that in 2025, 37,864 grievances, or 7.4% of the e-commerce total, were related to deficient service or customer care.
What's confirmed
- Amended e-commerce rules, set to take effect on January 1, 2027, are designed to strengthen consumer protection and curb dark patterns on online marketplaces, according to the consumer affairs department. These changes, which will replace the existing 2020 framework, introduce tighter requirements around consumer grievances, sponsored listings, search results, price disclosures, and the use of consumer data.
- Sponsored listings will now be clearly marked, enabling consumers to distinguish between paid placements and organic search results. E-commerce platforms will also be required to display both the reduced price and the prior price whenever a price reduction is announced. The new rules also bar online marketplaces from manipulating search results in a way that could mislead consumers or reduce the relevance of results to their search queries.
- More than 5.1 lakh complaints were registered against e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms on the National Consumer Helpline in 2025, according to government data. The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, are expected to improve transparency in the handling of consumer disputes and help resolve grievances more quickly and amicably through the convergence mechanism with the National Consumer Helpline.
- Consumer affairs secretary Nidhi Khare told Hindustan Times that the sector has changed dramatically since the parent law was enacted in 2019, and most complaints received were related to e-commerce. She noted that in 2025, 37,864 grievances, or 7.4% of the e-commerce total, were related to deficient service or customer care.
What's still developing
- The amended rules seek to address emerging consumer concerns in the digital marketplace while taking into account the need for ease of doing business and a balanced approach that protects consumer interests without imposing unnecessary regulatory burdens on e-commerce entities, the consumer affairs department said.
- The government and the Central Consumer Protection Authority have been tightening oversight of digital marketplaces over the past few years.
- Khare said the provision was triggered after consumers flagged that they had tried to pursue grievances with platforms but were never given a receipt or any formal record of what they had reported.