“The customer later came to us, and after a long-drawn battle, he was compensated,” said Sunil Parekh, Chairman of the Consumer Education Research Centre.

And let's be frank. This is not a stray case.

A Global Gateway

The e-commerce sector is increasingly becoming a global gateway, as it brings the marketplace to the consumer’s mobile screen.

But it has also created a marketplace for complaints. Speed has reshaped consumer expectations, thanks to the booming e-commerce sector.

The fault line is: trust.  

As the sector generates business worth lakhs of crores, complaints over misleading information, deceptive offers, fake discounts, and delivery-related issues have surfaced.

Complaints Are Growing Too

Data presented by the Union government in the Lok Sabha on August 12, 2026, on consumer complaints relating to the quick commerce and e-commerce sectors show the other side of this growth story: Complaints against the e-commerce sector registered with the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) rose from 2.24 lakh in 2021 to 3.65 lakh in 2022, 4.46 lakh in 2023, 4.40 lakh in 2024, and 5.11 lakh in 2025.

That brings the five-year total to 18.87 lakh complaints—an increase of 128%.

According to Parekh, the current mechanism is “unfair for the consumer” and, therefore, safeguards are required. “There are three major concerns. Firstly, a substandard product is allowed for sale despite prior knowledge. Secondly, misleading advertisements and information often put the consumer in severe inconvenience. Finally, when the consumer approaches the helpline or grievance redressal mechanism, no one takes ownership to ensure that the complaint is disposed of in a fair manner. All these factors have necessitated bringing the safeguard mechanism in e-commerce,” Parekh told The Secretariat.

Tightening The Regulatory Framework

Amid the deluge of complaints, the government tightened the e-commerce rules. The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which were notified on 9 September, will come into effect from 1 January 2027.

As per the new rules, every e-commerce entity will have to integrate with the National Consumer Helpline’s convergence process, and consumers must receive a copy of complaints filed with the platform’s Grievance Officer.

Further, platforms cannot manipulate search results in a manner that misleads consumers or affects search relevance. Paid or sponsored listings must be clearly and prominently identified. When a discount is advertised, platforms must display the current reduced price along with the lowest price offered during the preceding 30 days.

Platforms must also comply with the Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023, and undertake annual self-audits and submit compliance certification. Key information, including Best Before/Use Before, Return/Refund, Warranty, Delivery, and Payment details must be disclosed.

On paper, the regulatory framework is firm, but implementation would ultimately test its effectiveness, as well as the accountability of e-commerce platforms.

The Market Is Getting Bigger

According to the IBEF E-commerce Industry Report, India’s e-commerce market reached ₹13.69 lakh crore in FY2025 and is projected to reach ₹29.88 lakh crore by FY2030.

As online commerce has scaled up, the pressure on the consumer grievance-resolution system has also increased. These complaints are not limited to delayed deliveries. Consumers have reported wrong products, defective or damaged products, non-receipt of refunds, replacement failures, non-delivery, poor customer service, and fake or duplicate products.

Global Markets

The government is positioning e-commerce as more than a domestic buying-and-selling channel. It is being developed as a route for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), artisans, and small exporters to access global markets. According to official data released in April 2026, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) crossed ₹5 lakh crore in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in FY2025-26, while its cumulative GMV over the last five years reached ₹18.4 lakh crore. 

At the same time, the government is working towards E-Commerce Export Hubs, bringing customs, packaging, quality certification, warehousing and logistics facilities together to facilitate exports.

₹25,060 Crore Export Mission

According to official data dated July 21, 2026, the Export Promotion Mission has an allocation of ₹25,060 crore for FY2025-26 to FY2030-31. The mission aims to help smaller exporters enter global markets by providing support in areas such as finance, branding, packaging, and logistics.

For e-commerce to become a credible gateway to global markets, the government will first have to address the trust deficit at home. Expanding exports, bringing MSMEs onto digital platforms and opening access to international consumers will mean little if domestic consumers continue to struggle with defective products, misleading offers, delayed refunds and weak grievance redressal.

The new rules provide a stronger framework, but their real test will lie in enforcement and accountability.