Consumer Protection & Right to Repair

The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was repealed and replaced by the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which came into force on 20 July 2020. The new law kept the three-tier Consumer Commissions at the district, state and national levels, let consumers file where they live or work, provided for e-filing and virtual hearings, and treats a complaint as admitted if admissibility is not decided within 21 days. It also created the Central Consumer Protection Authority, established from 24 July 2020, which can act for consumers as a class. The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 set out the responsibilities of e-commerce entities, including grievance redressal.

The Consumer Commissions now clear more cases in a year than are filed. In 2022 they disposed of 1,83,779 cases against 1,74,280 filed, a disposal rate of 105.45%, and in 2023 1,86,902 against 1,71,468, or 109.00%; the disposals include cases filed in earlier years. In 2020, disposals had fallen to 60,884, or 50.73% of the 1,20,018 cases filed. Online filing through e-Daakhil, launched on 7 September 2020, became available in every State and UT when Ladakh joined on 22 November 2024.

A consumer can first register a grievance with the National Consumer Helpline on the toll-free number 1915 in 17 languages, or through WhatsApp, SMS, email, the NCH app, the web portal or the UMANG app. Complaints against its 1,169 convergence partner companies (2025) are forwarded to them in real time, and companies are expected to respond within 30 days. Under the NCH 2.0 initiative, the helpline added AI-based speech recognition, translation and a multilingual chatbot. If the grievance is not resolved, the consumer can approach a Consumer Commission; since 1 January 2025, cases are filed and tracked on e-Jagriti, which works across more than 670 District Commissions, 36 State/UT Commissions and the National Commission.

Online design and repair are the newer fronts. The CCPA notified the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 on 30 November 2023, listing 13 practices such as false urgency, basket sneaking and drip pricing; after its advisory of 5 June 2025 asking platforms to self-audit within three months, 26 e-commerce platforms declared compliance, and in June 2026 it fined PhysicsWallah ₹5 lakh and McAfee ₹1 lakh for dark patterns. The Right to Repair Portal India covers automobiles, mobiles and electronics, consumer durables and farming equipment, with more than 65 companies onboarded, and in May 2025 a committee submitted a Repairability Index framework for smartphones and tablets. Complaints to the helpline about mobiles and tablets rose from 19,057 in 2022-23 to 22,864 in 2024-25.

1,86,902 consumer cases disposed by the Consumer Commissions in 2023 (109.00% of cases filed); 60,884 in 2020. 1,70,585 helpline complaints a month on average in 2025, up from 37,062 in 2017. ₹52 crore refunded on 79,521 grievances (25 Apr 2025–31 Jan 2026). 1,169 convergence partners (2025). 65+ companies on the Right to Repair Portal India. 13 dark patterns prohibited; 26 platforms declared compliance. Sources: Department of Consumer Affairs and CCPA via PIB (PRID 2039121, 2179780, 2229099, 2077857, 2126409, 2191948, 2268302); DoCA year-end review document (PIB, January 2026).