4 hrs ago
India Tightens E-Commerce Rules on Prices, Search and Transparency
The Indian government has made new rules for online shopping companies.
The rules will begin on January 1, 2027.
When a website advertises a discount, it must show the new price and the lowest price from the previous 30 days.
Websites must not change search results in ways that trick shoppers or make results less relevant.
Paid or sponsored listings must be clearly marked.
Companies must help the National Consumer Helpline handle complaints and give shoppers copies of complaints recorded by their officers.
They must also show important information about sellers, products, returns, delivery and payments.
Imported products must include the importer’s details and country of origin.
Companies must check every year for “dark patterns,” ask for clear permission before specified uses of consumer information and generally avoid charging bundled fees for unrelated services, except for loyalty or membership programmes.
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will take effect on January 1, 2027.
Platforms must disclose a product’s reduced price and its lowest price during the preceding 30 days.
Search results cannot be manipulated to mislead users or reduce relevance, and sponsored listings must be clearly identified.
E-commerce entities must join the National Consumer Helpline convergence process and provide consumers copies of recorded complaints.
Platforms must disclose seller, product and imported-goods information, audit for dark patterns annually, obtain affirmative consent for specified data uses and avoid unrelated bundled fees.
- Who
- The Department of Consumer Affairs and e-commerce entities, including marketplace platforms, are affected by the amended rules.
- What
- The government amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, to impose stricter requirements on pricing, search results, sponsored listings, complaints, dark patterns, data use and disclosures.
- Where
- The rules apply to e-commerce entities covered by India’s Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules.
- When
- The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will come into force on January 1, 2027.
- Why
- The Department of Consumer Affairs said the changes respond to evolving business models, digital practices and consumer expectations while strengthening transparency, accountability and consumer protection.
Key facts
- Effective date
- January 1, 2027
- Rules amended
- Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020
- National Consumer Helpline grievances in 2025
- 17,71,622 grievances
- E-commerce share of grievances
- 5,11,196 complaints, or around 29%, were related to e-commerce
- Discount disclosure
- Platforms must show the reduced price and the lowest price charged during the preceding 30 days
- Dark-pattern compliance
- Entities must follow the 2023 dark-pattern guidelines, conduct yearly self-audits and prominently display a compliance certificate
- Imported goods
- Platforms must disclose importer details and the country of origin
Quotes
Department of Consumer Affairs
Government department responsible for consumer protection policy
“Where an e-commerce entity announces a price reduction, it will have to display both the reduced price and the prior price. The rules define the prior price as the lowest price at which the goods or services were offered during the 30 days preceding the announcement.”
livemint.com
“With the changing consumer buying patterns and the expanding scope of e-commerce, it has become important to strengthen the regulatory framework to address emerging concerns in the digital marketplace.”
livemint.com
Vijay Kumar
Partner at law firm Fox Mandal
“This is significant from a consumer protection and regulatory perspective, as the amendments seek to bring greater transparency and accountability to digital practices that can influence consumer choice. Clearer disclosures on pricing, sponsored listings and search results, coupled with stronger compliance requirements should provide consumers with greater transparency while also imposing more clearly defined obligations on e-commerce entities.”
livemint.com
Sources
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