Summary: The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, has amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 through the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 to strengthen consumer protection and promote a transparent and balanced regulatory framework for the e-commerce sector. The amendments address emerging concerns in the digital marketplace while seeking to maintain Ease of Doing Business and avoid unnecessary regulatory burdens. Every e-commerce entity is required to become a partner in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), strengthening integration with the national consumer grievance redressal mechanism. The amended Rules require e-commerce entities to provide complainants with copies of complaints recorded by grievance officers and prohibit manipulation of search results that misleads users or adversely affects relevance. Sponsored listings must carry clear and prominent disclosures. Where price reductions are announced, both the reduced and prior prices must be displayed, with the prior price defined as the lowest price offered during the preceding 30 days. E-commerce entities must comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, conduct an annual self-audit and prominently display a compliance certificate. Marketplace entities must disclose key seller and product information, obtain express and affirmative consent for specified uses of consumer information, avoid specified bundled fees, and disclose importer details and country of origin for imported goods. The amended Rules seek to establish a more transparent, accountable and consumer-centric e-commerce ecosystem and will come into force from January 1, 2027.
MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(Department of Consumer Affairs)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 9th September 2026
G.S.R. 789(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (zg) of sub-section (2) of section 101 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (35 of 2019), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules to amend the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, namely: –
1. Short title and commencement – (1) These rules may be called the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force with effect from 1st January, 2027.
2. In the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 (hereinafter referred to as the principal rules) in rule 3, sub-rule (1), for clause (j), the following clause shall be substituted, namely: –
“(j) “ranking” means the relative prominence or relevance given to the sellers on the platform or to the goods or services offered through a marketplace e-commerce entity as presented, organised or communicated by such entity, irrespective of the technological means used for such presentation, organisation or communication;”
3. In the principal rules, in rule 4, –
(a) for sub-rules (2), (5), (6) and (7), the following sub-rules shall respectively be substituted, namely: –
“(2) Every e-commerce entity shall provide the following information in a clear and accessible manner on its platform, displayed prominently at an appropriate place to its users, namely: –
(a) legal name of the e-commerce entity;
(b) principal geographic address of its headquarters and all branches;
(c) name and details of its website; and
(d) contact details like e-mail address, landline and mobile numbers of customer care as well as of grievance officer.
(5) Every e-commerce entity shall ensure that the grievance officer referred to in sub-rule (4) acknowledges the receipt of any consumer complaint within forty-eight hours, provides the complainant with a copy of the complaint as recorded by the grievance officer and redresses the complaint within one month from the date of receipt of the complaint.
(6) Where an e-commerce entity offers imported goods or services for sale, it shall:
(a) mention the name and details of any importer from whom it has purchased such goods or services, or who may be a seller on its platform; and
(b) provide for identification of goods and mention the full and complete name of the country of origin of such goods imported into India, as provided under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.
(7) Every e-commerce entity shall become a partner in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline of the Central Government.”;
(b) in sub-rule (11), after clause (b), the following clause shall be inserted, namely: –
“(c) mislead users by manipulating search result or search indexes having regard to the search query of the user.”;
(c) after sub-rule (11), the following sub-rules shall be inserted, namely: –
“(12) Every e-commerce entity shall ensure that sponsored listing of products and services are distinctly identified with clear and prominent disclosures.
(13) Where an e-commerce entity or the seller announces a price reduction for any goods or services on its platform, it shall indicate the prior price of such goods or services along with reduced price.
Explanation – For the purposes of this sub-rule, “prior price” means the lowest price of a good or service thirty days prior to the announcement of price reduction.
(14) Every e-commerce entity shall display clearly and prominently in its invoice, the name of the seller in the same font size as that of the e-commerce entity’s name.
(15) Every e-commerce entity shall comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 and also conduct yearly self-audit to ensure that its platform is free from dark patterns and a certificate to this effect shall be displayed prominently.”.
4. In the principal rules, in rule 5, –
(a) in sub-rule (3), for clauses (a), (c) and (f), the following clauses shall respectively be substituted, namely: –
“(a) details about the sellers offering goods and services, including the name of their business, whether registered or not, their geographic address, customer care number, name and details of its website and email address, where available, any rating or other aggregated feedback about such seller and any other information necessary for enabling consumers to make informed decisions at the pre-purchase stage:
Provided that a marketplace e-commerce entity shall, on a request in writing made by a consumer after the purchase of any goods or services on its platform by such consumer, provide him with information regarding the seller from which such consumer has made such purchase, including the principal geographic address of its headquarters and all branches, name and details of its website, its email address and any other information necessary for communication with the seller for effective dispute resolution;
(c) information relating to return, refund, exchange warranty and guarantee, best before or use before date, delivery and shipment, modes of payment, grievance redressal mechanism and any other similar information which may be required by consumers to make informed decisions:
Provided that in respect of food products, the requirement relating to display of best before or use before date shall be subject to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) and the regulations made thereunder;
(f) an explanation of the main parameters in descending order which, individually or collectively are most significant in determining the ranking of goods or sellers on its platform and the relative importance of those main parameters through an easily and publicly available description drafted in plain and intelligible language.”;
(b) after sub-rule (5), the following sub-rules shall be inserted, namely: –
“(6) No marketplace e-commerce entity shall use information collected by it, –
(a) for sale of goods directly or indirectly by any seller, whether related or not, bearing a brand or name which is common with that of the marketplace e-commerce entity; or
(b) to promote or advertise any seller as being associated with the marketplace e-commerce entity, unless the marketplace e-commerce entity has obtained the express and affirmative consent for such use from the consumer(s) to whom such information pertains.
(7) No marketplace e-commerce entity shall collect any bundled fees from users for services provided on the e-commerce platform for any other services that are unrelated to the e-commerce platform:
Provided that nothing contained herein shall apply to any loyalty or membership programme or to any benefit, service, offer or incentive provided in connection with or pursuant to such loyalty or membership programme.”.
5. In the principal rules, in rule 6, in sub-rule (5), –
(a) for clause (d), the following clause shall be substituted, namely: –
“(d) all relevant details about the goods and services offered for sale by the seller including country of origin, best before or use before date, information related to return, refund, exchange, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, cost and return shipping, mode of payments and any other similar information which are necessary for enabling the consumer to make an informed decision at the pre-purchase stage:
Provided that in respect of food products, the requirement relating to display of best before or use before date shall be subject to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) and the regulations made thereunder.”;
(b) after clause (i), the following clause shall be inserted, namely: –
“(j) any identification number issued by the Central Government including Goods and Services Tax Identification Number or Micro and Small Medium Enterprises registration number.”.
6. In the principal rules, in rule 7, in sub-rule (1), for clause (a), the following clause shall be substituted, namely: –
“(a) accurate information related to return, refund, exchange, best before or use before date, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, cost of return shipping, mode of payments, grievance redressal mechanism and any other similar information which may be required by consumers to make informed decisions:
Provided that in respect of food products, the requirement relating to display of best before or use before date shall be subject to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) and the regulations made thereunder.”.
[F. No. J-10/3/2018-CPU]
ANUPAM MISHRA, Addl. Secy.
Note: The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3, Sub section (i) vide number G.S.R. 462(E), dated the 23rd July, 2020.
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Further Update
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Government amends E-Commerce Rules to strengthen consumer protection and promote transparency
Amended Rules strengthen provisions on consumer grievances, search results, sponsored listings, price reductions, dark patterns and seller disclosures
New Rules to come into force from January 1, 2027
Posted On: 10 SEP 2026 5:14PM by PIB Delhi
The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, has amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 through the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, with the objective of strengthening consumer protection while facilitating a transparent and balanced regulatory framework for the e-commerce sector.
The amended Rules seek to address emerging consumer concerns in the digital marketplace while taking into account the need for Ease of Doing Business and a balanced approach that protects consumer interests without imposing unnecessary regulatory burdens on e-commerce entities.
A key provision of the amended Rules requires every e-commerce entity to become a partner in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), strengthening the integration of e-commerce platforms with the national consumer grievance redressal mechanism.
During 2025, the NCH received 17,71,622 grievances, of which 5,11,196, or around 29 per cent, related to the e-commerce sector.
Key Amendments
The amended Rules provide for:
- Consumer complaints: Every e-commerce entity shall provide the complainant with a copy of the complaint as recorded by its grievance officer.
- Search results: E-commerce entities shall not manipulate search results in a manner that misleads users or adversely affects the relevance of results to the user’s search query.
- Sponsored listings: Sponsored listings shall be identified through clear and prominent disclosures.
- Price reductions: Where a price reduction is announced, the reduced price and prior price shall both be displayed. The “prior price” means the lowest price at which the goods or services were offered during the 30 days preceding the announcement.
- Dark patterns: E-commerce entities shall comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, undertake a yearly self-audit and prominently display a certificate of compliance.
- Seller and product information: Marketplace e-commerce entities shall provide key information, including best before/use before dates, return/refund, warranty, delivery and payment details, to enable informed consumer decisions.
- Consumer information: Marketplace e-commerce entities shall not use consumer information for specified purposes without express and affirmative consent.
- Bundled fees: Marketplace e-commerce entities shall not collect bundled fees for services unrelated to the e-commerce platform, subject to the specified exception for loyalty or membership programmes.
- Imported goods: Importer details and country of origin shall be disclosed for imported goods.
Strengthening the e-commerce framework
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, notified under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, provide the framework for safeguarding consumers against unfair trade practices in the e-commerce sector. The amended Rules further strengthen this framework in view of evolving business models, digital practices and consumer expectations.
The amendments seek to establish a more transparent, accountable and consumer-centric e-commerce ecosystem, while providing clarity to e-commerce entities on their responsibilities and enabling a level-playing field for businesses operating in the digital marketplace.
The Department of Consumer Affairs remains committed to ensuring that the growth and innovation of India’s e-commerce sector is accompanied by effective consumer protection, transparency, fair business practices and Ease of Doing Business, while maintaining an appropriate balance between the interests of consumers and e-commerce entities.
The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 shall come into force from January 1, 2027.
