The government will impose regulatory changes on e-commerce companies beginning January 1, 2027, requiring online marketplaces to integrate with the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), a government grievance portal, and crack down on misleading search results and deceptive price discounts.
The changes, incorporated in an amendment to the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, were announced by the consumer affairs department on Thursday, which said they would strengthen consumer protection while balancing the need for ease of doing business.
Integrate with National Consumer Helpline
The government said every e-commerce entity would have to become a partner in the convergence process of the NCH, integrating platforms more closely with the government’s consumer grievance redressal mechanism. Under the amended rules, e-commerce entities would have to give a complainant a copy of the complaint as recorded by the platform’s grievance officer.
The move comes amid a large volume of complaints linked to online commerce.
Of the 17,71,622 grievances received under NCH in 2025, 5,11,196, or about 29%, were related to the e-commerce sector, the department said.
Bars manipulation of search results
Under these provisions, platforms would be barred from manipulating search results in a manner that misleads users or adversely affects the relevance of results to their queries. Sponsored listings will have to carry clear and prominent disclosures, making it easier for consumers to distinguish paid placements from organic search results, a government statement said.
The rules also tighten requirements around advertised price reductions. Where a price cut is announced, platforms will have to display both the reduced price and the prior price, defined as the lowest price at which the product or service was offered during the preceding 30 days.
Covers dark patterns
The government has also brought dark patterns under a stricter compliance framework. E-commerce entities will have to comply with the 2023 guidelines on prevention and regulation of dark patterns, conduct an annual self-audit and prominently display a certificate of compliance.
Dark patterns are design tactics on a web page intended to lure consumers into making a choice or making a transaction they never intended to.
Marketplace platforms will also have to provide consumers with key product and transaction information, including best-before/use-before dates, return and refund terms, warranty, delivery and payment details.
The amended rules also restrict the use of consumer information without the consumer’s express and affirmative consent.
Another provision bars marketplace entities from collecting bundled fees for services unrelated to the e-commerce platform, with an exception specified for loyalty or membership programmes.
For imported products, platforms will have to disclose importer details and the country of origin, giving consumers more information about the products they purchase.
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