The Government of India has amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 through the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The amended rules were notified on 15 September 2026 and will come into force on 1 January 2027.
The primary objective of the amendments is to strengthen consumer protection and promote greater transparency in the digital marketplace. This follows a significant volume of e-commerce-related complaints received by the National Consumer Helpline (NCH). In 2025, the NCH received a total of 17,71,622 grievances, of which 5,11,196 — approximately 29% — were related to e-commerce transactions.
Under the amended rules, e-commerce platforms are required to become partners in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline. Platforms must now provide complainants with a copy of the complaint as recorded by their grievance officer, ensuring greater access to procedural records for consumers seeking redress.
To prevent misleading practices, the rules prohibit e-commerce platforms from manipulating search results in a manner that misleads users or reduces the relevance of displayed products. Sponsored listings must now carry clear and prominent disclosures to distinguish them from organic search results.
Regarding price transparency, both the reduced price and the prior price must be displayed when offering price reductions. The prior price is defined as the lowest price offered by the seller during the preceding 30 days, preventing reference pricing based on inflated or non-existent former prices.
The rules incorporate the 2023 guidelines on dark patterns, requiring platforms to comply with these guidelines, conduct an annual self-audit of their interfaces for dark pattern usage, and prominently display a compliance certificate on their websites or applications.
Disclosure obligations for sellers and products have been strengthened. Platforms must now ensure that product listings include best-before dates, detailed return and refund policies, warranty information, and comprehensive delivery and payment details. For imported products, importer details and the country of origin must be explicitly disclosed.
Marketplace platforms are required to obtain express and affirmative consent from consumers before using their personal information for specified purposes, such as targeted advertising or profiling, moving beyond implied or opt-out mechanisms.
To curb unfair trade practices, the amended rules restrict marketplace entities from collecting bundled fees for services unrelated to the core e-commerce platform. This prohibition is subject to specified exceptions, including loyalty or membership programmes where such bundling may be permitted under defined conditions.
The Department of Consumer Affairs stated that the amendments aim to create a more transparent, accountable, and consumer-centric e-commerce ecosystem while maintaining a balance between consumer interests and the ease of doing business for platforms and sellers.
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 will come into effect on 1 January 2027, providing stakeholders with a transition period to comply with the new requirements.