The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi unveiled a number of measures on December 24, 2024 aimed at enhancing the consumer’s protection in the country. Launched on the National Consumer Day, new tools and platforms were released that would enhance the consumer protection and safety of online transactions. Some of the leading firms such as Reliance Retail, Tata Sons, and Zomato also responded to this campaign stating their participation in promoting e-commerce safety.
These efforts include the launching of a number of AI-based interventions such as the National Consumer Helpline, e-maap portal, and Jago Grahak Jago. These tools are intended to help consumers resolve complaints quickly, expose scams, and promote more confidence and knives among Internet users. By implementing these measures, the government aims at introducing a simple and convenient way through which consumers can easily exercise their rights, making them confident with the rates of expansion of the digital economy.
Speaking at the National Consumer Day event, Mr.Joshi pointed out improvement that has been made in Indian in regard to the solution of consumer’s issues. The data forwarded from January to November 2024 indicated that 6,587 cases were disposed of by the consumer court hierarchy, whereas only 3,628 new cases were registered with the National Commission. He further pointed out how it establishes the essence of the consumer redressal framework in providing speedy justice.
One of the highlights of the event was that the e-Daakhil Portal launched in 2020 and rolled out across the country in June 2023 proved a success. Filing consumer complaints online has become easier through the portal, and some states like Karnataka, Punjab and Rajasthan have fully embraced the e-portals. Indeed, e-Daakhil has ensured a radical simplification of the entire procedure of handling consumer complaints and has contributed a great deal towards updating the protection of consumer interests.
Mr. Joshi also noted the disruptive effect of the new waves of business digitization and how these affected commercial operations and consumption habits. As it was pointed out, acknowledging the potential of this digital revolution, he underlined the need to protect consumers’ confidence. According to the minister, transparency and ethical conduct remain crucial factors to sustainable trust in the new and digital economy.
Surrogacy, which has recently gained prominence as a commercial practice, is another area of legislative focus for curbing such practices. Even the Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has been actively working on creating new regulations for this and has sent legal notices to 13 companies for neglecting the existing guidelines. These measures are expected to safeguard consumers against such adverts which may have a biasing effect on their decisions.
The new launch programs visible during the event fall in line with government vision to give appropriate framework for consumer protection in India. With the help of advanced technology and strict rules and regulation, the government aims to create a level playing field where buyers protect. As the major e-commerce companies flow into it and with the help of implementing the AI capability tools, the country is moving a long way in protecting the consumer interest and the development of a safer digital economy. These measures represent a key step to make consumer rights remain as a core value in the transformation of India into a leading economic nation.
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