E-Commerce Rules Amended to Strengthen Consumer Protection

The Department of Consumer Affairs has amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. The amending instrument is the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026. The parent rules were notified under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The amended rules will come into force from 1 January 2027, which gives platforms time to prepare.

Why it was needed

Complaints from online shoppers have grown into a large share of the total. During 2025 the National Consumer Helpline received 17,71,622 grievances. Of these, 5,11,196 came from the e-commerce sector, which is around 29 per cent of the whole. A key provision of the amended rules now requires every e-commerce entity to join the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline, so that platforms are tied into the national grievance redressal machinery.

What the amended rules require

Other duties placed on marketplaces

• Key seller and product information must be shown, including best before or use before dates, return and refund terms, warranty, delivery and payment details
• Consumer information may not be used for specified purposes without express and affirmative consent
• Bundled fees may not be collected for services unrelated to the platform, except for loyalty or membership programmes
• For imported goods, the importer details and the country of origin must be disclosed

The larger aim

The department has framed the change as a balance. On one side sits the shopper, who should be able to see a genuine discount, an honest ranking and a clearly labelled advertisement. On the other side sits ease of doing business, so the rules avoid placing an unnecessary regulatory burden on online sellers. The stated aim is an e-commerce ecosystem that is more transparent, more accountable and more centred on the consumer, with clarity for platforms about what is expected of them and a level playing field for businesses in the digital marketplace.