The Department of Consumer Affairs has notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, bringing a series of changes to the regulatory framework governing online shopping platforms.
The amendments come at a time when e-commerce has become a major part of everyday shopping in India, with consumers increasingly relying on online marketplaces for everything from groceries and electronics to clothing, travel and other services.
The government said the new provisions are aimed at creating a more transparent and accountable digital marketplace, while also maintaining a balance between consumer protection and the Ease of Doing Business.
One of the major changes is the requirement for every e-commerce entity to become a partner in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline (NCH). This is intended to strengthen the connection between online platforms and the country’s consumer grievance redressal system.
The scale of complaints received by the NCH highlights the importance of the move. In 2025, the National Consumer Helpline received 17,71,622 grievances. Of these, 5,11,196 complaints, or around 29 per cent, were related to the e-commerce sector.
Search results cannot be manipulated
The amended rules introduce greater transparency in the way consumers see products and services on e-commerce platforms.
Under the new provisions, e-commerce entities will not be allowed to manipulate search results in a manner that misleads consumers or makes the results less relevant to what they have actually searched for.
Search rankings can significantly influence consumer decisions because products appearing at the top of a search page are more likely to attract attention and sales.
The new rules seek to ensure that search results are not manipulated in ways that could mislead consumers or distort the relevance of products displayed to them.
The move is particularly significant as online marketplaces often have thousands of products competing for visibility, making search algorithms an important part of the shopping experience.
Sponsored listings must be clearly identified
The government has also introduced provisions concerning sponsored listings.
E-commerce platforms will be required to clearly and prominently identify paid or sponsored placements so that consumers can distinguish them from organic search results.
The distinction is intended to make it easier for consumers to understand whether a product has appeared prominently because it is relevant to their search or because a seller has paid for its placement.
The requirement is part of the broader effort to make digital marketplaces more transparent.
New rules for price discounts
The amendments also bring greater transparency to promotional pricing.
When an e-commerce platform or seller announces a price reduction, the reduced price as well as the prior price will have to be displayed.
The rules define the prior price as the lowest price at which the goods or services were offered during the 30 days immediately preceding the announcement of the price reduction.
This provision is aimed at giving consumers a clearer picture of the actual discount being offered.
For example, if a product is advertised as being available at a heavily reduced price, consumers will have information about its earlier pricing based on the specified 30-day period rather than being presented with a potentially misleading reference price.
The change is expected to bring greater clarity to online sales and promotional campaigns.
Government tightens rules on dark patterns
Another important part of the amended framework relates to dark patterns.
Dark patterns refer to online interface designs or practices that can manipulate, mislead or influence consumers into making decisions they may not otherwise have taken.
The amended rules require e-commerce entities to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.
Platforms will also be required to conduct a self-audit every year to check compliance with the dark-pattern regulations.
Following the audit, platforms will have to prominently display a certificate of compliance.
The provision brings greater responsibility on e-commerce companies to examine the way their websites and applications are designed and how those designs influence consumer choices.
Consumers to get more transparency in complaints
The new rules also seek to improve the consumer grievance redressal process.
Every e-commerce entity will now be required to provide a complainant with a copy of the complaint as recorded by its grievance officer.
The provision is intended to make the complaint-handling process more transparent and give consumers a clear record of the grievance submitted on their behalf or recorded by the platform.
It also provides consumers with greater visibility into how their complaints have been documented.
The requirement comes as online shopping-related complaints continue to account for a significant share of grievances received by the National Consumer Helpline.
More product information before purchase
The amended rules also place additional information requirements on marketplace e-commerce entities.
Platforms will have to provide consumers with key information about the products and services being offered.
This includes details such as: Best-before or use-before dates, Return and refund policies, Warranty information, Delivery-related details, Payment terms.
The objective is to enable consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions before completing an online transaction.
For consumers, such information can be particularly important when purchasing products with limited shelf lives or goods for which warranty, return and refund conditions can vary.
The requirement also seeks to reduce situations where consumers discover important terms only after making a purchase.
Restrictions on use of consumer information
The government has also introduced provisions concerning the use of consumer information by marketplace platforms.
Under the amended framework, marketplace e-commerce entities will not be permitted to use consumer information for specified purposes without obtaining the consumer’s express and affirmative consent.
The provision adds another layer of transparency around the use of information collected from consumers during online transactions.
As digital marketplaces increasingly depend on consumer data for various business operations, the new requirement seeks to ensure that consumers have a clearer say in the specified uses of their information.
Restrictions on bundled fees
Another provision deals with additional charges imposed by marketplace e-commerce entities.
The amended rules prohibit marketplace platforms from imposing bundled fees for services unrelated to the e-commerce platform, subject to the specified exception for loyalty or membership programmes.
The provision is intended to provide greater clarity around additional charges that consumers may encounter during the online purchasing process.
The government has been seeking to improve transparency in the way prices and charges are displayed to consumers, particularly where additional costs may not be immediately apparent.
Imported products to carry more information
Consumers purchasing imported products online will also get additional information under the amended rules.
Marketplace e-commerce entities will be required to disclose details of the importer and the country of origin for imported products.
This will allow consumers to know where a product originated and identify the importer associated with the product.
The requirement could also provide consumers with more information when comparing products from different sources.
National consumer helpline integration
The requirement for e-commerce entities to become partners in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline is another significant change.
The NCH serves as a national mechanism through which consumers can register complaints and seek redressal for problems related to goods and services.
With more than 17.71 lakh grievances recorded in 2025, including over 5.11 lakh e-commerce-related complaints, integration with online platforms could help improve the handling of consumer complaints.
The move is intended to create a stronger link between individual e-commerce companies and the national consumer grievance redressal mechanism.
Why the rules have been amended
The original Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 were notified under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to protect consumers from unfair trade practices in the rapidly expanding digital marketplace.
Since then, the e-commerce sector has undergone significant changes.
Online shopping platforms have expanded their product categories, digital advertising has become more sophisticated and consumers are increasingly interacting with marketplaces through algorithms, personalised recommendations and digital interfaces.
The government has said the latest amendments are intended to respond to these changing business models and emerging consumer concerns.
The revised framework also seeks to provide e-commerce entities with greater clarity regarding their responsibilities.
At the same time, the government has stressed the need to maintain a balance between consumer protection and Ease of Doing Business, allowing India’s digital commerce sector to continue growing while ensuring that businesses operate within a transparent regulatory framework.
Rules to take effect from January 2027
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 will come into force from January 1, 2027.
This gives e-commerce entities time to review their existing systems and make changes required to comply with the new provisions.
Platforms will need to examine their search and advertising systems, pricing disclosures, grievance mechanisms, consumer-data practices and product information.
They will also have to address compliance with the rules on dark patterns and conduct the required annual self-audits.
What the new rules mean for consumers
For consumers, the amendments are focused largely on one issue — greater transparency before, during and after an online purchase.
A consumer searching for a product should be able to see relevant results without misleading manipulation. Paid listings should be clearly identified. Promotional discounts should show the earlier price according to the specified 30-day rule.
Consumers will also have access to more information about returns, refunds, warranties, delivery and payment conditions.
The provisions on dark patterns seek to address manipulative digital designs, while restrictions on specified uses of consumer information require express and affirmative consent.
The government has said that these measures are intended to ensure that the rapid expansion of India’s e-commerce sector is accompanied by fair business practices, accountability and effective consumer protection.
With the new rules coming into force on January 1, 2027, e-commerce platforms will have to adapt their systems to meet the additional transparency and consumer-protection requirements.
