Govt launches AI-enabled helpline, ecommerce safety measures to boost consumer protection

Food and consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday launched several initiatives to strengthen consumer protection, including AI-enabled helpline and tools to detect deceptive marketing practices, while major ecommerce players pledged to enhance online shopping safety. Leading platforms, including Reliance Retail, Tata Sons and Zomato adopted a safety pledge as the government rolled out new consumer protection measures like AI-enabled National Consumer Helpline (NCH) , e-maap portal and Jago Grahak Jago mobile application. “Significant progress has been made in expediting resolutions of consumer disputes,” Joshi said at the National Consumer Day event.

The minister, who attended the event online, highlighted that 3,628 cases were filed with National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission between January and November this year and 6,587 cases were disposed of through the country’s three-tier consumer court system at district, state and national levels.

The government’s e-Daakhil Portal, launched in 2020 and expanded nationwide in June 2023, has achieved 100 per cent adoption for online complaint filing in Karnataka, Punjab and Rajasthan.

“Virtual hearings of grievances is giving consumers digital access to justice,” he said and lauded the digitalisation of consumer grievance redressal efforts.

The minister outlined various measures the consumer protection regulator CCPA has taken through class action suit and issue of sector-specific guidelines to protect the interest of consumers.

Addressing the growing concerns about the ecommerce sector, Joshi said: “While this digital revolution offers incredible opportunities, the Indian government believes it is equally important for our consumers to feel confident and make informed choices.” The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) is drafting new guidelines to regulate surrogate advertising and has issued notices to 13 companies for non-compliance with existing rules, he added.

Among other initiatives launched on the occasion were National Legal Metrology e-Maap, an updated e-book on Packaged Commodities Rules, BIS SMART Standards, and the ‘Software Testing Facility for Weighing and Measuring Instrument’ at Regional Reference Standard Laboratory in Ahmedabad.

The minister also launched Organic Food Testing Laboratory at National Test House (NTH) in Guwahati and Low Voltage Switch Gear Testing facility at NTH Mumbai to ensure food safety and electrical quality.

The minister also handed over the ‘standard weights’ to Controllers of Legal Metrology of four states on the occasion.

Minister of state for consumer affairs B L Verma, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti, All India Council for Technical Education chairman T G Sitharam and consumer affairs secretary Nidhi Khare were present at the event.